


Blonde

by Saccharine_Ghosts



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Age Difference, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Blood Kink, Blood and Gore, Blow Jobs, Bottom Katsuki Yuuri, Character Death, College, Daddy Kink, Dancing, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, De-Aged Yuuri, Depression, Domestic Bliss, Dominance, Drug Abuse, Exhibitionism, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Forced Prostitution, Good Lord, Gradually Gets More Fucked Cause I'm A Twisted Fucker Who Enjoys Pain And Suffering, HAPPY. ENDING., Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Humour, I leave a warning at the beginning of each chapter but people are still complaining, I'm Not Ashamed, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kidnapping, Light BDSM, Light Bondage, M/M, Mafia AU, Masochism, Minor Character Death, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Not A Healthy Relationship But Still Not The Worst, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Christophe Giacometti/Victor Nikiforov, Past Drug Addiction, People get scalped and shit, Piercings, Please don't just think it's bullets and stab wounds, Porn With Plot, Possessive Behavior, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Power Bottom Katsuki Yuuri, Praise Kink, Prostitution, Rape/Non-con Elements, Recreational Drug Use, Riding, Russian Mafia, Sadism, Submission, Sugar Daddy, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Tattoos, Top Victor Nikiforov, Underage Prostitution, Unhealthy Relationships and Healthy Relationships, VIKTOR IS SUCH A FUCKING DORK, Viktor may be a mobster but he's a GOOD GUY, extreme violence, possibly underage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-23 07:16:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 19
Words: 101,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9645959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saccharine_Ghosts/pseuds/Saccharine_Ghosts
Summary: Viktor Nikiforov is a son, a brother, a nephew, and the Pakhan of the St. Petersburg Bratva, but to him it's not enough. Something's missing, and he doesn't know what.On a routine check-up of the sex-trafficing rings in the Bratva's American territory he takes interest in a young prostitute named Katsuki Yuuri, who's quiet and troubled; a perfect addition to Viktor's life. He hopes the boy can find life and love with Viktor in Russia, and that he can return the favour as well.But not everything is as it seems, Viktor and Yuuri's pasts often come back to haunt them, and not every person in Viktor's circle loves Yuuri as much as he does, some even going to great lengths to make sure Viktor remembers the family business comes first.This is Katsuki Yuuri falling in love, and getting in too deep.





	1. Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> This has become my main fic at the moment. I needed some drama in my fan fiction life and it is manifesting in this form. I live for Mafia AU's and Sugar Daddy AU's, so why not just combine them into both? Also, obviously their relationship isn't going to be sunshine and daisies all the way. This fic is a roller coaster of highs and lows, and if you can't handle that don't read it. 
> 
> The title of this fic was inspired by Blonde by Frank Ocean and all of the chapter titles are songs that sorta fit the mood. I suggest you maybe listen to that to understand some of the things I'll reference in the titles and junk.  
> If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask!
> 
> Edit: miconauta made a playlist on Spotify for you guys to listen to when you listen! Check it out: https://play.spotify.com/user/virginia.prado/playlist/5UECt7wezhOkcKecSgAkHx

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Dreams' by Fleetwood Mac.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

“What about this one?” 

The voice was deep, accompanied by the sound of his heavy bedroom door squeaking on it’s hinges; breaking Yuuri from his thoughts and making him sprawl out across his bed. It wasn’t loud, he was just naturally jumpy and wasn’t expecting a visitor at this time of night and the words were in Russian, which meant it could only be Alexei’s men, or a friend of his. He still couldn’t bring himself to turn in the direction of the voice, despite his nerves settling a bit. Had Alexei really brought somebody for him this early? He’d done it before, but it had been quite some time. 

“You don’t want that one.” Came Alexei’s voice from the doorway, “He is popular because he’s young, but he’s really nothing special.” Yuuri heard the floor creek from the doorframe, whoever was speaking to Alexei had entered the room. 

“Where does he come from?” 

“I can’t recall.” Yuuri turned his head away from the noise, bringing his legs up to his chest. “He hasn’t been here long and barely talks, probably Korea though. I’ve had a couple Korean girls in the past and they look quite similar.” Cold hands gripped his face. As soon as the pads of the man’s fingers touched the line of his jaw he winced, expecting it to be a bruising, forceful grip, but it never came, just gently guided his face in the direction of the man’s own. He averted his gaze; he never did like looking his clients in the eye.

“He looks _Japanese_ to me.” 

“Is there a difference?” The cold fingers from his free hand reached over to the other side of Yuuri’s face, sliding an index finger across his cheekbone. Only then did Yuuri accidently meet the face of his next owner for the night. 

But it wasn’t what he was expecting. There was no grey hair, or greasy skin. No fat fingers, dull, drunk eyes, and putrid breath. The man was elegant looking, ash blond with a skinny face, almost feminine features but still model-like in the structure. His eyes were as blue as the oceans of Yuuri’s hometown, bluer still. Yuuri’s mouth gaped and he couldn’t help but think that maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad despite it being rather early. The man looked wealthy enough, maybe he’d get a big tip, maybe if Yuuri complied and catered to his every whim this man would return, and he would have less nights with not so attractive company. 

Not that he remembered their faces anymore. It’d gotten to the point where they all blurred into one mess. He didn’t try to remember, either, but sometimes they gave him a reason to. 

“You’ll do nicely.” He grinned wickedly down at Yuuri, still sprawling, hands out behind him to support his weight as he slowly slipped backwards under the intimidating eye of the taller man.

“I didn’t take you as the type of man who enjoyed the company of other men, Mr. Nikiforov.” Yuuri couldn’t look away, but he could still hear the smirk in Alexei’s voice. The blond spun around quickly, hand still clutching gently to Yuuri’s face. 

“Who said he was for me?” There was ice in his tone, and it was obvious Alexei had crossed a line, as he usually did. The man’s smirk faltered, and he cowered back into the doorframe. Who was this man that had Alexei, the man who owned Yuuri’s soul, shaking in his boots? “I’ll take him. My boys will pay you at the door, but we’ll be on our way.” He turned again, fitting his façade back into place. 

“What is your name?” 

Was this how Russian men usually were to their whores? Gentle with their actions, even softer with their words? Something was wrong. This was not how normal clientele acted. He should’ve started already; Yuuri should’ve been on his knees minutes ago. He gathered his complexion, unsure of the situation but using his skills he had attained these past months that had protected him.

“K-Katsuki Yuuri.” 

_“Yuuri wa daijōbudesuka?” ‘Is Yuuri okay?’_

_‘Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!’_ he thought in his mind, although he was still unsure of the whole situation. His shoulders relaxed, hearing Japanese, however heavily accented and broken, for the first time in months was like finding an oasis in a desert. Was it a mirage, though? 

Yuuri nodded quickly and the piercing eyes softened even further. The large hand left his face, running down the crook of his neck and shoulder, sending shivers down the young man’s spine until he reached his bicep and squeezed lightly. 

“My name is Viktor Nikiforov, it is nice to meet you, Yuuri.” He was speaking in English now. “Would you like to come home with me? I promise it’ll be worth your time.” He smiled, almost genuine but slightly pitiful. Yuuri’s mouth formed a small ‘O’, but he managed to nod. His mind was screaming no, but who knew what would happened if he didn’t comply. Especially with a man of this importance to Alexei, he assumed he was some sort of authoritative figure.

Suddenly Viktor leaned forward, soft blond hair brushing against Yuuri’s cheek. 

“I think you’ll find that I’m not like your other clients, Katsuki Yuuri.” He whispered, his voice sounded like honey but felt like nails on a chalkboard. He must’ve felt Yuuri go rigid because he pulled back, trying to soothe him with another smile. 

“Pack all you need, I will wait outside of the door. Try to bring just the important things, I can get you whatever you need when we get home, but bring something warm for our flight.” 

“F-Flight?” He managed to get out. 

“Yes. I will be taking you back to Russia with me shortly. It is too much of a hassle to bring an entire wardrobe halfway across the world.” The man stood, towering much higher than Yuuri was, seated across the bed. “I’ll explain a bit more on the ride to the hotel, but I think you should just think about what you need to bring for now.” He said the words like they were the most obvious things in the world, like Yuuri should have known they were going Russia, like Yuuri should’ve known whom he was. 

Yuuri managed a slow nod, and got up from the bed slowly, like he was arthritic, as Viktor left he room and shut the door behind him. He went to his chest of drawers and pulled out very flew belongings he had to himself; some jeans, a sweater, a photograph of the sunset in Hasetsu, a hoodie, his wallet, and a few other small items. He put the hoodie on over his shirt and stuffed the rest into a small backpack he had from school. It took mere seconds to reach the door, backpack slung over his shoulder, hand resting gently along the smooth handle. Never before had he opened this door himself, he realized, it had always been opened for him. Maybe things were changing? There’d been so many times he thought about taking his own life, or running away, or trying to tell somebody about what happened, but every time he tried he ended up back at square one; in his bedroom with a man or woman he didn’t know, paying him money he knew would never get him anywhere but a little friendlier with Alexei. 

He pushed it opened before he could think, locking eyes with Viktor who was leaning on the pristine white wall across the hallway. 

“Is that all you have?” Something flashed across his face, a look of concern possibly? It couldn’t be. Yuuri would be nothing but a slave soon, as he had been for the past months. He could pretend for now that this stranger felt for him and cared for him, he had been playing pretend for quite some time now and had become quite good at it. 

“It’s warm here, I didn’t need a lot.” Yuuri shrugged, struggling to keep his voice wavering from nerves. He’d never been good with change. Viktor stepped off the wall and smiled down at him, genuine with no pity, and wrapped an arm around his waist. 

“We’ll pick something up before the flight. Shall we be on our way then?”

~~~

The car ride was strange, to say the least. First off, when they left Alexei’s building they were met with two, very large, very Russian men in all black, whom Viktor ignored and didn’t even pay a single glance too. Second, this man of obvious wealth and class was driving a bright pink BMW that had Yuuri almost laughing upon first glance. Thirdly, the man had not touched him or looked at him since he got in the car. Other than a gentle hand on his back as he opened the door for Yuuri and guided him into the passenger seat they’d made no contact whatsoever, apart from Yuuri’s unwavering eyes, slouched back against the passenger door, trying to make sense of the whole situation. 

“You have an American accent.” 

Yuuri paused, unsure if it was a question or a statement. 

“S-Sorry, what?” 

“You said your name was _‘Katsuki Yuuri’_ , not _‘Yuuri Katsuki’_ but you don’t have an accent. How long have you lived in America?” Yuuri squinted, but Viktor did not budge, eyes still on the road. 

“Since I was about thirteen.” 

“And how old you are now, if that isn’t rude of me to ask?” 

Yuuri’s brow furrowed even more, what was happening? 

“Seventeen.” Viktor nodded, looking impartial to the information. What was he getting at, exactly? “Why do you ask?” He bit back a rhetorical edge, because Yuuri had an idea of why he asked. Obviously this man didn’t care about the legality of the situation but he probably wanted to know how many years of work he could get out of Yuuri still. 

“No need to get defensive,” There was a warning in Viktor’s tone now that had Yuuri regretting he opened his mouth the second time, “I’m simply asking. I want to know more about you. Maybe you’d like to know more about me as well?” The older man turned to him finally, no trace of the edge of his tone from earlier. 

“Yes… I-“ He thought carefully about what he was going to say, but Viktor interrupted him again. 

“Yuuri, I really don’t want you to be intimidated by me.” Yuuri’s bow furrowed even more, “You’re probably so confused, I just-“ He turned to Yuuri again, “I owe you an explanation, but I’m putting it off because I know you’re not going to be very happy when I tell you.”

Yuuri’s heart sunk. So much for change. So much for starting over. He was going to Russia to do the same work, just for different people. He was going to Russia and that was all that would change. He shouldn’t have let Viktor’s fake kindness get to him like it had, he’d known better. 

“Do you know what the Bratva is?” 

Yuuri paused in his thoughts, thinking back to all of the old action movies his dad made him watch. 

“Like… Mafia?”

“If that’s what you’d like to call it.” Viktor’s gaze was steely now; all of the hardness gone but it wasn’t quite gentle. “Alexei works for the Bratva, money in brothels is bigger here so they asked him to manage some chains in this part of the territory a couple years back.”

“… So now they want to start more business in Russia?” 

“No, no, Yuuri.” Viktor chuckled, “It would not be any good for Russia at the moment, there’s no money in that.” 

“So you… work for the Bratva?” Yuuri’s heart dropped when Viktor stayed silent.

“I am the Bratva.” His knuckles turned white on the steering wheeling, “ _Pakhan._ Boss.” Was Viktor really wincing as he told Yuuri this? Did he actually care what Yuuri thought? Regardless of how self-conscious Viktor was feeling, Yuuri still pulled back. 

“W-Why me…” he mumbled. 

“Because I needed a distraction,” The older man’s eyes were back on the road, steely and cold as ever. “It’s a dull life. It’s a dull life and I couldn’t bring anybody into it without making it worse for them. It was just supposed to be a routine check at Alexei’s but I-“ He reached out and rested his hand on Yuuri’s knee, making him visibly flinch, but Viktor didn’t falter. “I saw you, and how vulnerable you looked, and thought maybe you’d be better off with me. Maybe it would be better for you with me than with Alexei.” Were the other members of the Bratva this compassionate? Yuuri couldn’t help but wonder. If he hadn’t planned on leaving with anybody walking into Alexei’s it meant that the others did not know what Viktor had done. Maybe they wouldn’t ask since he was the Pakhan, but then again maybe they would. 

“You could’ve picked anybody.” Yuuri was still stiff as a branch under Viktor’s hand despite his reassurance. “You had the pick of all of the beautiful women in that building but you picked me, why?” 

“Do you really think you’re under the position to ask questions?” Viktor snapped back, making Yuuri’s eyes gloss over. He immediately caught himself, pulling his hand off Yuuri’s leg and running it along the hem of his own pants. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry- just…” He ran a hand through his bangs, “I want you to accept what has happened, and I’m so used to just getting what I want when I want it.” 

“I am twenty-seven years old, Yuuri. That may not seem like long, but who knows when my last day will be. You have your whole life ahead of you, would it not be nice to spend it with me, to have everything you want rather than make money for the sake of others? I know Alexei’s job is an important one, but I do feel guilty…” 

“Tara was fifteen.” Yuuri whispered softly, “You should’ve taken her.” 

“But I didn’t. I took you and you’ll have to just live with that. Despite what you may believe, you deserve better. Tara deserves better, yes, but I’m more interested in you. You weren’t all over me like the others, you didn’t belong there.” The car slowed at a red light, noonday sun glistening off the ridiculously pink hood. “Does that make sense to you? Do you understand?” 

Yuuri was trying desperately to understand, really, but he was finding it difficult. He nodded a bit, and that seemed good enough for Viktor. He took a deep breath in and out, then opened his mouth to speak to Yuuri again, hesitating slightly. 

“Do you mind if I ask you a few more questions now?” 

“I-I don’t mind.” 

“Thank you, Yuuri.” He reached into a compartment above the mirror and pulled out a pair of expensive looking sunglasses, “How long have you been working for Alexei?” 

“About five months.” Viktor hummed in acknowledgement. 

“What did you do before that?” 

“I went to school.” He straightened his back a bit, no longer feeling the need to hide himself in the leather interior of the seat. “Both of my parents passed when I was fourteen, and my sister and I went to an orphanage just outside of town. My foster parents were not so kind, but I managed for a while.” 

“Alexei got a hold of you when you left your foster home?” 

Yuuri nodded. 

“May I hold your hand, Yuuri?” 

The Japanese man looked down at the outstretched hand in front of him, and almost burst into tears. Who was this Viktor Nikiforov, really? There was absolutely no way he was head of the Russian Mafia. When was the last time somebody had even asked to touch Yuuri? He reached out and grabbed it, letting Viktor intertwine their fingers and rest their joined hands on his knee.

“I couldn’t imagine the things that you have gone through to get where you are, but you won’t have to deal with them for much longer.” He pulled into a hotel parking lot pulling up beside the valet sign, “I can assure you.” 

~~~

Alexei’s place was fairly nice, and Yuuri had come to appreciate what he had in the time he’d been there, but it was nothing compared to Viktor’s hotel room. It was bigger than any house Yuuri had ever been in, gold accented walls and trimming, with gold chandeliers and marble floors. 

“I know it’s a bit impersonal but I quite like it.” Viktor said, noting Yuuri’s awe as they entered the suite. He said something in Russian to the men in black that had followed them in and they left promptly. Yuuri’s breath caught, thinking about what that might entail. Viktor wanted privacy. He asked for something in a language Yuuri barely understood in hopes he wouldn’t hear him ask. Would he want sex? He wasn’t up to it, and he never was, but he really didn’t think he could handle all that right now. 

But regardless of what he wanted or could handle, he was prepared, because that’s probably what was coming. He tried to prepare even more as long arms wrapped around his midsection, tugging him a bit closer to Viktor’s front, and lips brushing against his ear.

“Do you like it?” He hummed, tickling the long, overgrown hairs behind Yuuri’s ears.

“I like it a lot. It’s almost too much.” 

“Good.” Viktor said, and that was it. The arms unwound themselves from the smaller man’s waist, and hot breath left his ear. “Better than good- Great! I’m glad you like it, my Yuuri. Would you like me to get you anything? Food? Or something to drink? Or I could get out if you’d like, and you can have some time alone.”

“Time… alone?” 

“I know this is a lot to take in, you probably just want to sleep or-“ He was cut off by Yuuri latching onto him, arms wrapped tightly around the Russian’s shoulders, and head tucked into the crook of his neck. 

“Please don’t go.” The older man was obviously a bit flustered, but he quickly returned the embrace. 

“No worries, it’s all about you right now.” Yuuri pulled away, obviously embarrassed by his outburst, but Viktor paid it no mind. “What do you like to eat, Yuuri? I could order you something.” 

“Katsudon…” 

“Cats-Udon?” 

“No, uh, katsudon. It’s like deep-fried pork cutlet, and egg- but don’t worry about it! I- We- You can just get something from the hotel it’s no-“ 

“Yuuri,” Viktor rubbed reassuringly on his bicep again, “It’s no problem at all, I’m glad you’re loosening up a bit.” He pulled a cell phone out, “Should most Japanese restaurants have it?” Yuuri just nodded, and Viktor tapped the screen of his phone a few times and excused himself. 

Alone now, Yuuri could finally take in the full extent of the lavishness of the hotel. He ran his finger along the kitchen table, and when he pulled it up there was no dust. It was immaculate. He wandered to the next room, some sort of living room, and was met with the biggest TV he’d ever seen. He walked right up to it, pressing the button to turn it on. The news immediately flashed onto the screen, showing coverage of some sort of protest going on in a different county. Yuuri stood back in awe, letting himself sit down on the large, orange sofa when the backs of his knees caught on it. Viktor came back into the room moments later, clearing his throat to break Yuuri out of his trance from the TV. 

“They should be here within the hour. Is there anything that you have in mind that you’d like to do in the meantime?” 

Yuuri shook his head, and pointed at the TV. 

“It’s been so long since I’ve gotten to sit down and just watch the news. I have no time.” Viktor leaned over the edge of the couch to get a better look at Yuuri’s awestruck face. 

“Is it really that exciting?” 

“I didn’t feel like I needed to worry about what was going on, nothing mattered.” Viktor nodded solemnly, like he understood exactly how he felt. He hopped over the back of the couch, mindful of where Yuuri was sitting. It was an action that Yuuri had also not seen for a very long time, and almost made him chuckle and question again if this ridiculous man was really in charge of something, anything, let alone the Bratva.

“Do you mind if I sit beside you?”

“I don’t mind at all.” And he really didn’t. The younger boy couldn’t believe it but he could really care less right now. Viktor settled in, thigh just barely brushing Yuuri’s as he sat back into the couch, arm resting above Yuuri’s head but he didn’t feel crowded in. He flicked back and forth between different news channels, soaking up all the information he could before there was a knock at the door, and Viktor hopped over the back of the couch again to retrieve it. He looked through the peephole, and opened it up, retrieving multiple take-out boxes and shutting the door again. 

“Your katsudon is here, where would you like to eat it?”

Yuuri turned around, looking around the room. 

“Is there a dining room?” 

“Why, of course. Follow me, my Yuuri.” 

The table was quite large, probably enough for ten people to sit, but Yuuri sat at the end across from Viktor, feet barely brushing under the table. When he opened his take-out box and broke open his chopsticks, he felt a sudden pang of nostalgia. This didn’t look anything like his mother’s katsudon, and this wasn’t Japan, but it would do. 

“This looks delicious! Vkusno!” Viktor exclaimed as he opened his up, “How do you hold the chopsticks again? It’s been a long time since I’ve had to eat with them, I want to know the proper way.” Yuuri broken open Viktor’s chopsticks for him and grabbed his hands, adjusting them to how he should properly hold them. The older man thanked him and took a bite of the food, giving him another quite loud exclamation.

And Yuuri genuinely laughed this time. 

Finally digging in, Viktor watching him intently, he came to the conclusion that this katsudon was rather good. Very good. It wasn’t just run-of-the-mill sushi restaurant crap you get from every all-you-can-eat place downtown; this must have been expensive, and authentic. 

“Is it alright?”

“More than.” Yuuri stated, giving him a smile, Viktor returning a dazzling one in between. Yuuri was amazed he was so comfortable around him, considering how skeptical he still was of the whole situation, but he pushed those thoughts back now. 

“Do you mind if I ask you some questions now?” Yuuri asked between bites. Viktor looked a bit taken aback at his boldness, but nodded and continued to chew his bit of food. 

“You’re only twenty-seven, how are you already boss?” 

“My father died. In the Bratva it’s a hierarchy based on family, so when he passed, I became Pakhan at 24.” 

Yuuri nodded, content with the answer despite the urge to ask about his father. 

“What made me stand out? At Alexei’s I mean.” 

Viktor set his chopsticks down, resting his head on his hand putting a finger to his lips. 

“You were quiet. The rest of them threw themselves at me.” His eyes shone, “Alexei said ‘Don’t worry about him, he’s nothing special.’ But I didn’t want anything special. I just wanted somebody who could adapt to my life, and could blend in with the crowd if they needed to.” He pointed at Yuuri, “But you can do both. Already you’ve shown me that you think you’re nothing special, that you’re not worth it. In the car, even though I could tell you were about to piss your pants you still gave me lip when I was overstepping my boundaries.”

Yuuri opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it. 

“You may think you’re nothing special, Katsuki Yuuri, but I think I can prove you wrong.” He finished his last bite, and closed the take-out lid. “Are you finished?” Yuuri nodded, cleaning up his side of the table. Viktor grabbed it, walking over to the large kitchen area to throw out the boxes. “Are you alright with that, Yuuri? With me proving you that you’re worth something? Making you worth something to me? It’s important that you are, I don’t want to see you as just an object.” 

Maybe it was supposed to be reassuring but it made Yuuri’s heart ache a little bit. There was no doubt in his mind what this relationship truly was. When he thought about it over his katsudon the words _‘sugar daddy’_ came to mind. Despite what Viktor had implied he knew that this is how it would be, and it would probably be nothing more. He shouldn’t be too upset, he reminded himself, he’d take a good-looking, rich Russian over a random stranger looking for a one-night stand any day. 

“I would be alright with that, yes, I would be okay with trying-“ he motioned in Viktor’s general vicinity, “ _-this_ out.” 

Viktor laughed hardily, “Okay, Yuuri, I’m glad to hear it.” He walked back over to the table and rested his hand gently on Yuuri’s shoulder. “Would you like to go to bed, Yuuri? Tomorrow we have to go get you some warmer clothes, and then we’re flying out to London for a connection, then Moscow.” 

Yuuri nodded, and Viktor grabbed his hand, and lead him to one end of the house. 

“I’m sure you’d like your privacy, so this is your bedroom. I’m sorry that there’s no lock on the door, but I just want to be safe.” He opened it then pointed to the room further up the hall. “My room is right there. If you need anything come and get me, or would you prefer it if I found my own suite tonight?” 

“No, of course not! This is your suite; I’m the one imposing. T-Thank you, Mr. Nikiforov.” 

“Oh, pshht- Yuuri! You don’t have to be so formal. Please, call me Viktor.” Yuuri nodded, and Viktor motioned for him to enter. He stepped into the room, setting his backpack down on the bed, and glancing around a few more times to take in the layout of the room. 

“Do you have warmer clothes?” Viktor asked him, “Other than your sweatshirt? The blankets are nice but I find I still get chilly in the middle of the night.” 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” 

“I’ll be right back.” Viktor signaled for him to stay put and took off down the hallway, returning with some sweatpants and a crewneck. He set them down on the bed and gave Yuuri a smile, “There’s an ensuite bathroom over there, and if you need to brush your teeth it already has the extra supplies you need. My cousin was supposed to come with me, so the room is already stocked up for somebody to stay in it.” He lingered for a second, obviously wanting something else, so Yuuri did it for him. He wrapped his arms around Viktor’s neck, pulling his chest flush against Viktor’s torso. 

“Thank you, Viktor.” The blond wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s midsection, pulling him the smallest bit closer, but obviously not wanting to overstep any bounds. He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to Yuuri’s hairline and stepped back. 

“I’ll be down the hall.” He turned on his heels and left the room, but not before sticking his head back in, “Also please remember that my men are in front of both sets of doors, Yuuri, so if you really want to head back at any time-“ He turned around again, “Just let me know, and we won’t have any problems.” He shot over his shoulder, closing the door behind him. 

Yuuri was awestruck again. Would he have tried to leave if he didn’t already know Viktor’s men were there? Did he even still want to? It was too much to think about all at once and it had really been a full day already. 

He picked up the sweatpants and shirt, running the fabric between his fingers. They were unbelievably soft, as were the sheets and the pillowcases. He changed into them quickly, looking at himself in the mirror after. The sweatpants hung low on his hips and the sweater showed off a bit more collarbone than he usually would, but that was to be expected, Viktor was easily a good three inches taller at least, and quite a bit wider in the shoulders as well. 

When he was done, he turned to the large windows on the other side of the room, pulling back the drapes. It was close to 11:30pm but the city was still bustling with activity, but from up here all the cars and people looked like tiny ants. How insignificant it all seemed from up here, how small it all looked. It was an unforgettable sight, and Yuuri didn’t think he’d ever see the city look quite like this ever again.


	2. I Have Waited So Long

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'I Have Waited So Long' by Foreigner.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind that this fic has a facade of rainbows and daffodils but it's actually pretty dark, and throughout the series that will only become more obvious. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Also, here's the song from this chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JO8_Kz_MwM

Yuuri awoke to the sound of running water from the room next to him, not unlike what he was used to. He rolled over in the bed, expecting to reach the edge but it didn’t come. He blinked his eyes open, memories swarming his brain like bees to honey.

The bed wasn’t covered in the black, scratchy duvet much too big for the twin mattress he normally slept on; instead it was a sheet of plum purple, almost the texture of velvet. The bed was much larger than a twin, a queen at the least, and the pillows were softer than he’d ever experienced. How did he even fall asleep last night with his head engulfed in the gentle down-filled pillows? 

He pulled the covers back, looking down at the baggy sweatpants and shirt than hung off him like drapes. It still felt surreal, and he almost didn’t want to leave the room, just in case this was all a dream and as soon as he opened the door he’d be back in his cramped bedroom back at Alexei’s, back end sore from last nights endeavours. 

Yuuri didn’t even hear the water shut off, and suddenly there was a gentle rap at the door. 

“Are you awake yet, my Yuuri?” 

“Y-Yeah,” his throat felt dry from disuse, “You can come in.” 

The handle turned and Viktor slipped in the doorway. He had a white towel wrapped tight and low on his hips, and was drying his hair with another. Yuuri could tell Viktor was physically fit from the outfit he’d been wearing the night before, wide in the shoulders with toned legs and stomach, but he never imagined this. Viktor’s chest was sculpted as well as his abdominals, looking absolutely delectable as small droplets of water cascaded down his shoulders to his navel, making him almost shine in the light coming in from the large window. He wasn’t huge, of course, but he had the athleticism of a dancer, or a swimmer. 

“It’s just before 9:00, I wanted to let you sleep in a bit.” He pulled the towel away from his head and brushed his chest, “How did you sleep?”

“Like a baby. This bed is so comfortable.” 

“I’m glad.” Viktor grinned widely, “You can have a shower and get dressed. We have to go get a few things but I asked my pilot to be here for 6:00, so take your time.” Yuuri nodded, but Viktor lingered. His eyes trailed down Yuuri’s body and he hummed under his breath. 

“You look good in my clothes. Maybe you can just wear some of mine instead.”

It wasn’t just a compliment, Yuuri could tell that much. There was a ring to his words that gave away ulterior motives and his eyes flashed possessiveness. You could tell by the way Viktor held himself that he was a man who got what he wanted often, as he had said earlier, and the stance he held in this moment showed it. 

Yuuri blushed slightly, already feeling his pulse rise slightly at the thought of Viktor feeling possessive over him. Viktor obviously saw, as he gave Yuuri another sly grin but continued. 

"Like I said, take your time. Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to go today?" Yuuri shook his head, "Alright then. I'll just take you to some of my favourite stores. Breakfast will be ready when you are." 

And with that he left. Yuuri stood slowly, moving to the ensuite bathroom he hadn't yet seen in the light. As with the rest of the suite, the bathroom was white with gold and purple accents, with a tall shower/bathtub unit in the corner. He stripped down, trying not too look at himself in the mirror, trying to ignore the bruises in the shapes of finger prints that riddled his hips and thighs. They were turning an ugly shade of yellow, almost blending in with Yuuri's skin but they were still there nonetheless, and extremely noticeable. He was glad Viktor didn't push him last night, and maybe they'd be gone by the time Viktor did end up asking him. Who knows, maybe Viktor would even make new marks on him, marks that were more visible so everybody knew he belonged to somebody, or maybe Viktor would be gentle and sweet with him, let Yuuri's body ask him for what he wanted instead of just taking it. 

Yuuri didn't quite know which he'd prefer. 

He turned on the water and stepped in, it was hot almost immediately unlike the cold showers at Alexei's. They never were able to shower long enough for it to get hot. He took his time lathering the expensive looking shampoo and conditioner into his hair, and poured a generous amount of the musky body wash onto a luffa to wipe down his body. When his muscles relaxed and all of the conditioner was gone, he turned off the water and stepped out. The towels were extremely soft as well, and he couldn't help rub it against the side of his face as he dried. When he was dry he moved to the mirror, opening it up and pulling out the extra toothbrush Viktor mentioned the night before, as well as some mint toothpaste. He took his time, treating his time in the bathroom like a time for cleansing, forgetting everything he remembered, forgetting his old routine. 

He stepped into his bedroom, pulling on a pair of jeans and the hoodie from yesterday. Yuuri opened the door to the hallway, walking past Viktor's closed bedroom door and entering the dining and kitchen area. Viktor was sat at the table, long legs crossed at the ankles and stretched out beneath the chair on the other side while reading a newspaper. He had on a black collared shirt rolled up to his elbows, and pants just as black. Yuuri could't help but remember how toned the man was when he saw the outline of the older man's pecs through the tight shirt, and the veins in his forearms. 

When Viktor noticed him he averted his attention from the paper to Yuuri, and gave him a smile you could only describe as goofy. 

"Good morning, sleeping beauty, was the shower to your liking?" 

Yuuri had really been taken aback when Viktor first asked him something was up to his standards, but this was almost excessive. Viktor wanted everything to be perfect for the younger man. 

"It was." He pulled out the chair across from him and Viktor put the paper down, sliding a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast over to Yuuri. 

"Quite plain but I didn't think you'd complain." 

Yuuri would never. It had been quite some time since he'd had a home cooked meal. He immediately dug into the food, trying to be polite despite how hungry he was. The blond across from him didn’t make a move to pick the newspaper back up again but instead rested his elbows on the table again, doing the thing he did with his index fingers against his lips again. Yuuri locked eyes with him between bites, and raised an eyebrow. 

“Don’t worry about me,” He stated, “Just admiring the view.” The blond reached across the table, wiping a dripping lock of black hair away from Yuuri’s eyes, and tracing down his cheek in the path the drop of water had gone. “You look rather dashing right now.” 

Yuuri blushed down to his chest, feeling it creep hot and tingling down his neck from his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been called anything but ‘cute’ or ‘sexy’ by a client, or anybody for that matter. Viktor pulled his hand away, but the grin stayed. He loved the effect he had on others, especially Yuuri. 

~~~

The ride to the shopping area of downtown wasn’t as quiet as the ride to the hotel, Viktor telling him all sorts of things about Russia and what it was like, and how much Yuuri was going to love it there. 

“It’s very different from America, although some things are the same.” He adjusted his mirror so he could see the black SUV behind them. “I’ve only been to Japan a couple of times, but it’s definitely different from Japan, so I think you’ll find it quite interesting, I hope you come to like it.” 

“I’m sure I will.” Was Yuuri’s quiet reply. Really, he wasn’t sure at all whether he’d like Russia. From the things he’d heard he thought he would probably enjoy the beautiful buildings and scenery, but what about the people? What about the laws? The Bratva? 

“I was going to wait to talk about this, but I think now would be a good time.” He rolled up the windows of the car so he could speak without raising his voice. “My family doesn’t know I will be bringing somebody home. If they found out…” He trailed off slightly, “They’re really not so bad. You’ll have to watch yourself, though, sometimes you’re a little too sassy for your own good.” His mouth upturned despite the serious tone, “For the first little bit, try to just speak when spoken to. I’ll tell them you’re my assistant. I doubt they’ll believe me, but just go along with it. Yakov is my Uncle, and the one I worry about the most. He is a rough old man and probably will avoid speaking to you so he doesn’t have to speak English, and I also have a cousin who’s name is Yuri also, just fifteen. He’ll be a bit of a problem for you, but he’s only fifteen and nothing can come of his teasing.” Yuuri nodded along with the information, trying to absorb all of the information. 

“The rest are just my men, associates, assistants, and the like. You’re naturally very shy but I think it would help to remember that one day they’ll serve you just as they serve me.” The ravenett froze, unsure of the information he’d just been given and what it had meant. 

“What do you mean they’ll serve me?” 

“Well, you will be my right hand man, I hope. Won’t you, Yuuri?” He reached over and rested his hand on the smaller man’s leg as he had the day before. 

“I suppose, yes.” 

“That means you’ll have more power over the others. Not at first, you’ll have to gain it, but eventually I’m hoping you will.” Viktor turned his hand over, trying to signal Yuuri to take his hand. 

“Have you done this before?” Yuuri laced their fingers together, letting Viktor return the embrace. 

“Brought somebody home?” He held up their interlaced hands, kissing the back of Yuuri’s hand, “Not like _this._ ” Yuuri nodded in reply, feeling the cold lips sear into the skin of the back of his hand. 

The attention made him feel warm suddenly, and he pressed the button to lower his window a bit. The wind blew his hair into his face, so he ran his fingers through it, attempting to push his bangs back from his face. 

“Is it normally that long?” Viktor pulled his hand from Yuuri’s and ran a hand through the longer hairs at the back of Yuuri’s head. 

“No, I haven’t had a haircut since before Alexei’s.” 

“It’s only 10:30, we can stop by a shop and get it done before the flight if you want?” 

_‘What a good idea.’_ Yuuri thought to himself, _‘A good way of starting fresh.’_

He nodded, and Viktor pulled into the shopping centre parking lot, two black SUV’s pulling into the open stalls beside him. 

~~~

“This was really too much, Viktor, I don’t have very expensive taste-“ 

“ _Nonsense_ ,” The blond reassured him, adjusting the collar on the navy blue trench coat, “It is my pleasure. Besides, it suits you wonderfully.” He let a hand trail down to the smaller boy’s back, guiding him forward towards the terminal. 

Yuuri let his hands run through his bangs one more time, not quite long enough to get into his eyes anymore. It felt strange; his head was almost lighter now. The barber hadn’t done much, just trimmed an inch or two and layered it a bit but it still felt nice. 

The plane ride to London was long, and Viktor slept for most of it. But when he was awake he reminded Yuuri of what was expected of him in Russia, and what to do when he met the family. Yuuri nodded a long, a bit dazed still, but eventually he relaxed into the seat. 

When they arrived in London, Viktor suggested they stopped somewhere for a late lunch. The place looked rather expensive, and Yuuri tried to ignore the glare of the host as he sat them at their table. Viktor ordered them some champagne and their meal, as Yuuri sat amazed that the man hadn’t even asked for Yuuri’s ID before he poured him a glass. He stared down at the glass in his grip, oblivious of Viktor peering at him over his own glass. 

“Is something wrong, Yuuri?” 

“I’ve never had champagne before.” 

Viktor hummed and showed him the label on the bottle. 

“You have drunk alcohol before, though, correct?” 

Yuuri nodded, and tipped the glass back, letting just a bit slip past his lips. It was a little bitterer than he had expected, but he found he liked it. It was much better than the heady beer and disgusting rye he was used to. 

“Thoughts?” The blond implored. 

“I like it. It’s kinda weird, though. It’s like drinking pop but… not.” 

Viktor giggled, _he giggled_. What kind of mobster giggled like a fucking school girl with a crush? Yuuri laughed back, glad the atmosphere was so comfortable despite the unwelcoming stares he’d received entering the establishment. 

“What was Japan like? Where are you from?” Viktor asked, just as the waitress brought over their meal. It looked like a small steak with some sort of thick, orange sauce on the side, with sautéed vegetables. 

“It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen Japan.” He set his flute back on the table, “But I’m from a seaside town called Hasetsu, in Kyushu. It’s known for it’s hot springs. My family owned a hot spring, one of the last in the town, but there just isn’t any money in tourist attractions anymore so it went under.” He picked up the knife and fork and began cutting the stake, “We moved her in hopes to find something better, and so my sister and I could learn English in school, widen the variety of jobs we could take.” Viktor made no move to eat his food. 

“May I ask what happened?” 

Yuuri’s face fell. 

“It’s alright, you don’t have to.” He laid his napkin across his lap and began to cut his steak. 

“No, no, it’s fine.” Yuuri popped a piece of the cut in his mouth, it practically melted and made him falter somewhat, but he swallowed it quickly to continue. “They died in a car accident. There was a seminar up in Colorado for my dad’s work and the roads were quite icy when they came home early, since the weather was so bad. We didn’t know what happened for two weeks until the CPS showed up at our baby sitters door.” He paused, looking down at his plate, but tears didn’t even threaten his eyes. “Mari and I had to live in a group home for a while, and then we were separated when we got sent to separate foster homes. She’s old enough to be living on her own now, but I haven’t heard from her in about a year.” 

Viktor’s eyes were wide when he met them, soft but without pity. 

“Would you like to see your sister?” 

Yuuri shrugged. 

“She probably thinks I’m in a good home now, as I believe she is. I don’t want…” He set his utensils down, “I don’t want her to know what happened. I want her to live a stress free life. To keep thinking I have it made and I’m going to school like I told her I would.” 

Viktor reached across the table to lay a hand on Yuuri’s, thumb brushing his knuckles. Yuuri was again distracted by the sheer size difference between them. 

 

“Thank you for opening up to me, Yuuri, I know it must be difficult.” He sipped his champagne again, and pulled back. “Do you like the food?” 

“Very much. I don’t think I’ve ever had steak so soft.” 

Viktor smiled and nodded. 

“The chef here, Dante, is a genius. I’ve never met somebody quite as talented with a cut of meat as him.” He bit into some asparagus, “I’m glad you like it so much. It’ll be important that you become accustomed to my taste. Of course we can always go to places you like,” He smiled, “But I think you’ll find places like these quite enticing.” 

Yuuri agreed, if there was one thing he was sure of it was that he could get used to eating out like this. 

~~~

The rest of the flight was a bit more comfortable than the last. Viktor and Yuuri shared stories of their childhood in their home countries, had a mimosa or two, and even laughed a bit. Viktor was like an enigma to Yuuri, how could such a powerful man in such a dark business be so kind and animated? Viktor was quite goofy, despite his grace and powerful stature. He was polite, and obviously knew where he stood (which was above everybody else), but he joked with Yuuri, and let Yuuri poke fun back. He laughed with his whole body, never spilling his mimosa despite the sobs of laughter wracking his body as Yuuri told him a particularly funny story regarding a friend of his from school back in Japan. 

He hadn’t felt this comfortable in years, neither had Viktor, but they found they quite liked it. Both fell asleep shortly. The flight to Russia had reassured Yuuri that really this wouldn’t be so bad, despite the circumstances. 

When the plane landed, Viktor reached over to Yuuri and pulled up his scarf a bit to protect him from the biting winds. 

“It’ll be much colder than you’re ready for when we get off,” Viktor let his hand linger on the side of Yuuri’s face, “It takes some getting used to.” The stewardess led them off the private jet, thanking them for their time. Viktor lead him down the ramp and into the private terminal, and then was met with two men looking similar to the men who had been outside of the hotel room in America. They opened the doors to a large, black SUV with blacked-out windows, letting Viktor and Yuuri hop in the back. The driver didn’t adjust his mirror or anything, so it startled Viktor when he spoke to Viktor without looking at him. From living at Alexei’s and dealing with his men, he had picked up a bit of Russian. Not enough to be conversational but to understand what he needed. 

_“This man is with you?”_

_“Yes.”_

And the driver shut up, never saying another word or sparing a glance to their joined hands and touching thighs in the back seat. Yuuri was thankful for the (somewhat) privacy, and let his thumb brush a bit on Viktor’s knuckles. 

They arrived at the house (or mansion, more like it) a little more than an hour later, the sun shining high in the sky with it being just after noon. As security let them in and Viktor swung open the large, heavy doors they were met with multiple people scurrying about, paying no mind to Viktor and his guest. A short, bleach-blond ran down the long, winding staircase directly in front of them and zoomed passed them, entering a corridor without a glance even in their reaction. 

“I’m home, Yuratchka!” Viktor called in a singsong voice, “Don’t you want to welcome your favourite cousin back home?” 

“Not really!” The voice called back. 

“That’s not very nice, why are you so cold to me?” 

_“Why are you speaking in English?”_ He yelled back in Russian. 

“Because I have a guest and it would be rude otherwise.” The short blond entered the room again, confused look on his face. 

_“Guest?”_

“Yes, Yura, a guest.” The boy looked Yuuri up and down, almost like he was checking him for something. “This is my new assistant, Yuuri. Yuuri, this is my baby cousin, Yuri, or Yura maybe, if that’s a little less confusing.” 

His cousin was giving him an exasperated look now. 

“Really? You brought a whore home from Alexei’s and he just _happened_ to have the same name as me?” He crossed his arms and Yuuri couldn’t help but feel intimidated, “I didn’t even know you liked men.” 

“Yura!” He snapped, “Be kind, he’s going to be staying with us so you’d better get used to him.” 

Yuri moved a step closer, making Yuuri lean back against Viktor’s arm around his waist. 

“Sorry, I didn’t know you liked _boys._ ” His grin was sly, and there was malice in his words. “How old are you anyway?” 

Yuuri was frozen, mouth gaping open like a fish. 

“He’s seventeen.” Viktor spat at him, straightening his back in an attempt to make the younger boy stand down.

“He’s **WHAT?** ” Yuri snapped, “You brought home a whore that is two years older than me? What the fuck, Vitya, this is so fucked, even for you.” He spun on his heels, and multiple heads had turned around to view the commotion. Viktor looked pissed, but his posture softened as he turned to Yuuri. 

“I did warn you, but I’m sorry again.” Yuuri tried to look at Viktor, but he could feel the eyes staring. Viktor raised a hand to his face and rubbed a thumb across his cheekbone. “He’ll warm up to you, I know it. Would you like to see your room?” Yuuri just nodded, and Viktor picked p their bags and brought them towards the stairs. The house was massive, and Yuuri was sure he’d need a guide to help him get around if he ever wanted to make his way around. It took them a few minutes to get to a hallway with two doors at the end, which Viktor opened. 

“This one is yours, sorry it’s a little small.” 

It really wasn’t that small, but it was dwarfed compared to the rest of the house. 

“This one is mine.” He pointed to the door perpendicular to his, “If you ever…” he paused, biting his lip, “Need anything don’t hesitate to come by, just knock first in case I’m doing business, but I normally do that downstairs.” He unlocked his own door and lead Yuuri in, “I don’t really want you getting involved in my work.” 

“I don’t think I want to get involved in your work either.” Yuuri huffed a laugh. He looked around Viktor’s room, which was quite spacious as expected. There was a king sized bed pushed against the far wall, covered in a dozen pillows and surrounded with a soft fur rug. There was a TV and stereo system at the end, and a sound system across from that. On the other side of the room there was a bookshelf beside quite a large desk and, surprisingly, a record player. Yuuri hadn’t seen one in a long time but it looked to be in quite good condition. There was a box of vinyl under the table where it sat, and Viktor had obviously noticed him looking because he guided Yuuri with a hand on the small of his back over to the table. 

“You don’t mind?” 

“Of course not, put on whatever you’d like.” 

Yuuri crouched, sorting through the extensive collection. Viktor had everything. There were some things he expected, a couple Chopin albums and some Tchaikovsky, and some more unexpected ones as well. _Blue Hawaii_ , Black Sabbath’s _Paranoid_ , he even pulled out _Greatest Hits of Foreigner_ , flashing it in Viktor’s direction. 

“You a dirty white boy, Viktor?” 

“Hey!” Viktor chuckled, “That’s a good album, what’s so wrong with Foreigner?” Yuuri giggled at him. 

“Oh, there’s nothing wrong with Foreigner, but I just didn’t peg you as the type.” He looked over the cover, placing the record on the stand and placing the needle just where he wanted it. The opening chords to ‘I Have Waited So Long’ waded softly into the room, as well as Mick Jones’ solemn voice. 

_(Authors Note: This is around the time you listen to this fucking song so it gives you the feels and makes you see what I see.)_

_‘I have waited oh, so long, please don’t tell me baby I was wrong,’_

Yuuri found himself mouthing the words to the familiar tune.

_‘Dreaming of you every night, holding back until the time was right.’_

“You know them?” Viktor tilted his head slightly, giving Yuuri a slightly surprised look. 

Yeah,” He nodded, “My dad used to have a record player and he loved them. They were the only American band he liked.” He leaned back a bit, still feeling Viktor’s hand on his back. 

_‘I’ve counted the days, day after day, since we’ve been apart.’_

“Yuuri?” 

“Hmm?” He turned in Viktor’s arms a bit to look him in the eye, and Viktor held his free hand out for the younger boy to take. Yuuri obliged, and the blond man gently spun him into his arms so he was snug against Viktor’s front with his arms wrapped around his chest. 

_‘Now I’ve found my way, I’ve found my way, right back to your heart.’_

“Is this alright?” Viktor asked, hot breath brushing his now uncovered ears. 

“Yes,” Yuuri melted into the touch, and Viktor began swaying them slightly to the music. He gracefully pulled a hand out, unwinding Yuuri from his side and making him laugh, warmth creeping into Viktor’s bones for the first time in what felt like forever at the pure, authentic sound. Yuuri was relaxing, coming to like him, and that was all he’d ever wanted from somebody. 

_‘I’ve been searching for you everywhere. Calling you, but you were never there.’_

He finally had it. It didn’t matter to him that he had _bought_ Yuuri, and he hoped the feeling was mutual. He didn’t want this to feel artificial, he wanted Yuuri to feel love for him and he wanted to feel things for Yuuri, not just lust or aesthetic attraction. 

_‘Seeking in the dark of night, hoping one day you would shine a light.’_

He spun Yuuri back into him, ignoring the clumsy, runner-clad feet tripping over the toes of his expensive shoes. When Yuuri laughed again he pulled him even closer, brushing his lips against Yuuri’s hairline. 

“I want you to see yourself how I see you, Yuuri.” He whispered against the black locks, “And I don’t mean I see you as an object. I really do adore you.” 

“You barely know me…” Came the quiet reply, barely audible above the 80’s rock pouring into the room around them. 

“Then _let me_ know you.” He looked down into Yuuri’s eyes, “I want to know you, I feel like I already do, don’t you?” Yuuri looked a little confused, “I’ve never felt this comfortable around somebody, especially somebody I’ve just met. You managed to open me up in a mere forty-eight hours. Two days and the Pakhan of the St. Petersburg Bratva is already putty in your hands.” The realization of the situation quickly met Yuuri again, making him struggle for words as every worry he’d had over the past two days rushed into his head again. Viktor pulled him flush against him again. 

“I’d never do anything you didn’t want, Yuuri, please. I want you to trust me.” Yuuri’s eyes welled with tears, “Please learn to trust me, so I can trust you too.” 

The boy clung to the lapels of Viktor’s jacket, pulling their fronts flush against each other, letting out a quiet sob into the man’s chest. A large hand found it’s way into Yuuri’s hair, cupping the back of his head. 

_‘I have waited oh, so long, please don’t tell me baby I was wrong,’_

“I know it’s overwhelming. I know,” He tried to sooth the boy, but he had never been good at these kinds of things. “You’re safe here, I promise.”

_‘Dreaming of you every night, holding back until the time was right.’_

Yuuri pulled away with a frown and tears smeared across his cheeks, scaring Viktor slightly. 

“I got tears on your jacket.” He pouted, and Viktor tried to stifle his laugh of relief, pulling Yuuri back in. 

“That’s okay, Yuuri, I don’t mind.” 

_‘Ooh, I have waited so long,_  
Ahh, don’t tell me I was wrong.  
I dream of you, I’m dreaming of you baby. 

_Don’t go away.’_

~~~


	3. Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Perfect' by The Smashing Pumpkins.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Who the hell am I, Stephen King? 
> 
> I've been receiving lots of support for this fic, and I really appreciate it! It's very fun to write and I'm enjoying it immensely. I was originally going to only write three chapters, but I don't feel like three was enough for the first instalment of this fic, so there'll be more to come. 
> 
> Let me know your thoughts, as always!

They stayed in the room a bit longer, listening to the album and looking over the blond’s collection of vinyl and books. Afterwards, he showed him a bit more of the house, then Viktor had brought Yuuri into the other bedroom and let him get settled in after he told him he was tired. He told Yuuri to sleep as long as he wanted, and they’d talk longer in the morning, as well as introduce him to everybody. 

When Yuuri woke up, he was wearing just a t-shirt and his boxers, covered in blankets that were soft, but not quite as soft as the hotel blankets. He remembered the day before, getting himself into bed and falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

He got up, pulling on his jeans that had been left on the floor and his favourite hoodie. He felt quite gross, in desperate need of a shower, so he opened the door to the bedroom, and moved across the hall to Viktor’s room, hesitating before knocking on the door. 

_“Dah?”_

“It’s Yuuri.” 

“Oh! Come in, the doors unlocked!” 

When he pushed the door open, Viktor was hunched over a desk, head resting against his hand and a pen between his teeth, looking rather flustered. The record player was on, and quiet classical music was coming from the speaker.

“I almost expected you to sleep in longer, but I guess we’re both early birds.” He dropped the pen on the desk, organizing the papers. 

“I usually sleep in, but I think falling asleep at 7:00pm messed up my sleeping schedule a bit.” Viktor nodded, understanding. He got up from the chair, walking up to Yuuri and embracing him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. 

“Is their something you need, my Yuuri?” 

“Which shower am I supposed to use?” Viktor pulled away and pointed to a door just outside of his office area. 

“You can use my bathroom if you’d like, or the one down the hall, although mine is a little bigger. Would you like breakfast first?” 

“That’d be great, thank you.” He returned the smile Viktor shot him, and followed him into the hallway and down the stairs, blushing a bit at the thought of sharing a bathroom with Viktor. It took them a few minutes to get to the kitchen, where there was a pale man sitting on the island with a newspaper, who looked about Viktor’s age, maybe younger. 

“Georgi, what are you doing up so early?” There was a mocking in Viktor’s tone, obviously this Georgi had a track record for sleeping in. 

_“Very funny, Vitya!”_ There was that name again, _Vitya,_ which he assumed was some sort of nickname his family used. He put the newspaper down, “I have some business in Kazakhstan later today, so I had to get up early.” 

“Are you taking Yura with you? I’m sure he’d love to visit Otabek.” 

“He asked me but I’m still not sure if Yakov would let me…” He trailed off when he saw Yuuri behind Viktor, almost hiding behind his shoulder. “Who’s this?” 

“A friend of mine. Yuuri Katsuki, meet Georgi Popovich.” 

Georgi put a hand out for Yuuri to shake, and he took it hesitantly, shaking with what little strength he could muster. Georgi looked suspicious, but he dared not question Viktor. 

“I-It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Popovich.” 

“Please, it’s Georgi.” He gave a half-assed smile, “And likewise.” He averted his attention back to the newspaper, and Viktor gestured Yuuri to a seat at the end of the island, a couple down from Georgi, and rolled up his sleeves.

“Do you drink coffee, Yuuri?” He held up an expensive-looking French Press, “Or is tea more to your liking?” 

“Coffee would be great, thank you.” He settled into his seat a bit, aware of Georgi staring at him out of the corner of his eye. A woman entered the room, bright red hair blinding Yuuri momentarily. She sat down beside Georgi and paid Yuuri no mind till the other Russian whispered something to her under his breath, making her head shoot up.

“Zdravstvuyte, Yuuri, I’m Mila. It’s nice to meet you.” Her accent was slightly thicker than Georgi’s, Yuuri noted, even more so than Viktor’s. 

“Nice to meet you, Mila.” 

“So how long will you be staying with us?” Georgi inquired, not looking up from the paper. 

“Umm, I don’t know - like - the foreseeable future?” He looked up at Viktor, wondering if that was the right thing to say. Viktor did say speak when spoken to, and he didn’t look upset or anything now as he poured the boiling water into the French Press. 

_“Really, Vitya?”_ Mila was obviously biting back a comment, like she knew who Yuuri really was, but it already seemed like enough for Viktor. He slammed his hand against the table but when he spun around his face was dead calm. Both Georgi and Mila leaned back in their seats, Georgi’s eyes were wide but Mila merely flinched. 

_“If you say one more thing I will-“_ Yuuri didn’t quite catch the rest, glad Viktor was using his first language to spare Yuuri the image, but he did catch the words _‘head’_ and _‘gut’_ and that was enough to set them on edge. Blond bangs covered Viktor’s face but Yuuri could see it was calm, but his eyes gave away his true emotions. 

_“I know what he is, Vitya.” _All Yuuri could think over and over was that if Mila didn’t shut up soon she was going to have her head removed from her body, and Yuuri would have to watch.__

___”You know what he was, not who he is.”_ Viktor spat at her. Who was this woman who had the nerve to talk to Viktor like that? Georgi had the sense to leave the room with a quick _‘Sorry’_ , but Mila stood up from the seat now, chest puffed out and nose in the air, unafraid of Viktor’s advances. _ _

___“What will Yakov say?”_ _ _

___”Yakov doesn’t run the show here anymore, I do, so it doesn’t really matter, now, does it?”_ He leaned forward, pushing closer into Mila’s personal space. Unaffected, Mila sat back in the chair with a loud huff of exasperation. _ _

___”It’s your funeral, love.”_ _ _

__She stood and stalked off. Viktor ground his teeth and unclasped his hands, freeing them to grip tightly to his hair._ _

__“Do you… Do you need some time? I can-“ Viktor’s head shot up at the sound of Yuuri’s voice, and his posture immediately softened._ _

__“Oh, my Yuuri.” He cooed, “I’m sorry you had to see that. My sister can be a little overbearing sometimes,” he opened his arms, gesturing for a hug. Yuuri stood on shaky legs, making his way around the island to embrace the tall blond who not moments earlier looked like he was about to murder his own kin. “She knows just how to push my buttons…” He pushed his nose into Yuuri’s hair, breathing deeply. “I didn’t scare you, did I?”_ _

__“For a moment…” Yuuri said truthfully, though he didn’t want to make Viktor upset._ _

__“I’m really not like that all the time, but you’re going to see me like that from time to time.” He brushed his bangs back and sighed, letting a smile creep onto his face. “Now, do you want anything in your coffee?”_ _

__Yuuri shook his head no, and Viktor looked surprised, pouring him quite a large cup and handing it over. Viktor then poured himself his own, dumping quite a bit of flavoured creamer into it. He moved them over to the island Yuuri had sat before, asking him about his sleep and if his room was in need of anything. Yuuri answered it was more than okay, and tried not to seem as shaken as he felt, but Viktor could obviously still tell he was rattled._ _

__“I have to get some things done, but maybe later we can go pick up some more clothes for you. The house is nice and warm, but you can’t stay cooped up in here forever.”_ _

__He nodded, and Viktor grinned over his mug at him._ _

__“We’ll finish our coffee and go, do you mind wearing what I bought you yesterday? I have some clothes you can borrow as well but they’ll be much too big.”_ _

__“My clothes are fine,” The Russian winter bit into him as soon as he got off the plane and onto the tarmac, but he was thankful for the thick trench coat and cashmere scarf Viktor had gotten him._ _

__Yuuri’s heart jumped at the idea of going outside. Maybe even going outside by _himself_ one day, who knows?_ _

__~~~_ _

__Their trip was quite successful. It took quite a while to get there since the mansion was more in the countryside, but Viktor took Yuuri to a couple different stores. Viktor had wanted to stay out, but Yuuri assured him that this was more clothes than he even knew what to do with, stopped for warm drinks before they got home._ _

__“What would you like, my Yuuri?” Viktor had asked, prepared to order for Yuuri because of the language barrier._ _

__“Just a hot chocolate is fine.”_ _

__“Just plain hot chocolate?”_ _

__“You got a problem with that?” Yuuri retorted, making Viktor growl slightly at him and poke him in the side, restraining himself from pulling the younger man into his embrace. The atmosphere from earlier had been shed completely, and both were feeling quite relaxed after the shopping spree._ _

___“I’ll have a hot chocolate and a caramel latte, please.”_ He told the barista after telling Yuuri to find them a seat and set down their bags. Yuuri thought she might recognize Viktor since she looked so unsettled as he spoke to her, but it might have just been the air around Viktor,_ _

___’Or his extremely handsome face.’_ Yuuri thought to himself. As he watched Viktor move around the establishment from the booth in the back of the shop he couldn’t help but admire it. His sharp features and graceful walk, almost like a glide down the side of the counter, like he was on ice. Although there was gentleness there to Yuuri, no doubt everybody in the room knew that Viktor was of importance. The way he held himself with the utmost confidence, and treated everybody with respect that only came from a modest king. _ _

__He picked up the drinks as they finished, moving to the back of the room to join Yuuri, and set it down in front of him._ _

__“I thought maybe we could sit for a while, I’m sure your feet hurt from walking around in the cold all day.” Yuuri nodded in agreement, taking a sip of the sweet drink. It was almost too hot, but everything even remotely warm felt scalding in this weather._ _

__“When will I meet Yakov?” Yuuri asked after a sip, waiting for an answer that didn’t come right away. Viktor reached across the table to wipe away a smidge of hot chocolate from the corner of the ravenett’s mouth with his thumb, and brought it back to his own to suck it off. Yuuri almost coughed at the sight, Viktor was such a natural flirt that it seemed like he didn’t even realize the effect it had on Yuuri, but now looking at the flash of mischief in his eyes Yuuri knew that he knew _exactly_ what he did. _ _

__“Why? Are you worried?” He took another sip of his latte._ _

__“Actually, yeah.” Yuuri wrung his hands a bit between his legs under the table. “What do I even say to him? How do I know it’s him? I just don’t want to make a bad first impression, I-“_ _

__“Shhh, Yuuri.” The Russian reached held a hand out on the open table, and Yuuri quickly got the message and grasped it. “You’ll know when you see him. He looks like he belongs in the Bratva.” He gave a small chuckle and a reassuring squeeze, “It won’t be difficult if you don’t work yourself up about it. Just say ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ when needed, and it wouldn’t put you in his bad books if you added a ‘Mr. Feltsman’ after.”_ _

__“Not Nikiforov?” Yuuri asked, blowing on his drink to cool it._ _

__“No, I kept my mother’s maiden name after she died, despite my father remarrying. He’s my father's brother-in-law, and kept Yura's mom's last name. That’s why Mila and I look nothing alike, we’re half siblings, and Yura doesn’t look like us either.”_ _

__Yuuri nodded along, trying to retain the information he was being given. At this point, he’d take _anything_ to make a better impression than he had with Mila and the other Yuuri. _ _

__They made small talk over the rest of their drinks, and packed up to leave right after. Yuuri finished his drink first, and threw out the cup, and as they walked to the door Viktor quickly downed his and went to throw his out as well, but Yuuri caught his hand._ _

__“What? What’s wrong?” Viktor looked worried._ _

__“There’s something written on your cup.”_ _

__Viktor turned it over, looking at the numbers that had been hastily scribbled in permanent marker across the backside of the sleeve, before he shrugged and tossed it into the trash._ _

__“Must have been the barista.” He opened the door for Yuuri, curtseying slightly and making Yuuri giggled despite the slight irritation that poked at his mind._ _

__“Does that happen a lot?”_ _

__“It’s not uncommon for that to happen. She wouldn’t expect you to be with me, either, since queers in Russia aren’t as public about their endeavors.”_ _

__“But you just throw it out like it’s nothing, I’d feel honoured.”_ _

__“Oh?” Viktor grinned cheekily, pulling Yuuri into an embrace from the side. “I find it hard to believe my Yuuri was never hit on with a face like _that!_ ” Yuuri chuckled along with him, pawing at his chest a bit. _So much for queers not being public about their endeavors.__ _

__“There was some flirting at some dances in middle school, I remember, but nothing quite so serious. As I’ve said before, I’m really not so special, I don’t-”_ _

__All of the air was stolen from his lungs and the heat returned to his face despite the negative temperature as soft lips met his chapped ones and long, gloved fingers slid into the hair on the back of his head. It had been unexpected, and he almost stumbled backwards until Viktor slung an arm around his waist._ _

__His brain caught up with the moment, and he pushed back. If kissing could be soft like this, without teeth and nails clawing at his clothes and back, maybe he wouldn’t quite mind it all that much. Kissing Viktor was effortless, not a chore; he didn’t have to pretend to enjoy it._ _

__He brought his cold hands up, one to Viktor’s slightly warmer face and one to the collar of his jacket to pull himself closer. The Russian had made a comment earlier about his people not being so public about this kind of relationship, and Yuuri had heard things like that before, but obviously if Viktor had initiated it he knew what he was doing._ _

__Viktor was the one to break it off, letting his forehead rest gently on Yuuri’s, sharing hot breaths between each other._ _

__“Sorry,” Viktor whispered, “I couldn’t stop myself was that okay?” Yuuri nodded, and Viktor moved away to press gentle pecks on his cheek until he reached his nose. “I don’t like hearing you say things like that about yourself, you are special to me and that’s all that matters.”_ _

__All Yuuri could manage was a nod, still shell shocked from the intimate moment they just shared in the middle of the sidewalk, in front of the large window to the coffee shop where the barista could no doubt still see them._ _

__Viktor left his arm around Yuuri’s waist and lead him back to the car, satisfied and ready to head home._ _

__~~~_ _

__“No really! I’m not lying!” Yuuri almost dropped the bags as he keeled over from laughter as Viktor opened the door. “All over himself, right in the middle of the movie theatre! I’d never been to a movie theatre before, and I don’t think I’d ever go back after that!” He laughed too, brushing the fresh snow from his jacket as he shut the doors behind them._ _

__“That’s ridiculous, Viktor.”_ _

__“I know! That’s why they called the police on us, Georgi isn’t allowed at that cinema anymore.” Yuuri laughed again, he hadn’t stopped smiling since they got back to the car on the way home and his face was beginning to ache. Viktor gripped his hips lightly at the sight of his unwavering smile and pulled Yuuri into him, laying a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth and down his face. Yuuri obliged, gripping a hand onto Viktor’s scarf as if to ground himself, trying to hide the giggles as Viktor laid a butterfly kiss on a sensitive part of Yuuri’s jaw._ _

__But Yuuri’s smile fell when a gruff voice cleared their throat from across the room, Viktor’s didn’t at all, he just calmly looked in the direction of the noise._ _

__“Anything you’d like to tell me, Vitya?” He spoke in English but his accent was thick, almost undecipherable. This must be Yakov._ _

__“Uncle Yakov! This is Yuuri Katsuki, he’ll be staying with me from now on.”_ _

__“I-It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Feltsman, I’ve heard a lot about you.”_ _

__Yakov hummed, but didn’t reply. He just squinted at Yuuri; brows furrowed as he sized him up, then averted his gaze back to Viktor._ _

__“And how do you two boys know each other?”_ _

__“We met in America.”_ _

__“That’s the whole story?”_ _

__“That’s really all there is to it.” Viktor snapped at the man, however calm, but warning him to not push any further._ _

__“Is that so? Because Yura tells me you met at Alexei’s.”_ _

__“That brat doesn’t know _shit. _” Viktor’s gripped on his side tightened, and he pulled Yuuri involuntarily closer to his side. “I think we need to have a little talk.”___ _

____“If it were any other situation I would have already spoken with him, Viktor, but I think this is different.” He tapped his foot on the ground, “You’ve invited one of Alexei’s _whores_ into my home! He could interfere with business! He’s a plain American, obviously incompetent and-“ _ _ _ _

____“Oh, I’m sorry,” Viktor interrupted him, “Last time I checked _I_ was in charge of that. Business was _my_ responsibility, and this was _my_ house.” For the second time that day, Yuuri felt genuine fear towards the man holding him tight like a lover. “I think you need to learn to stay in your lane, Yakov, I’ve been doing this for almost four years with no complains, you should come to realize what kind of damage I could do if I wanted.” His composure was calm still, which almost made Yuuri even more scared. “I’ve shared everything with you, everything I was given and everything I made, so let me have one thing for myself. Are we clear?” It was said like a question, but there was no question there. The discussion was over, and Yakov had no choice but to back down. _ _ _ _

____He did, but as he turned around he mumbled in Russian._ _ _ _

_____“Imagine what your father would say.” ____ _ _ _

______Viktor abandoned Yuuri and the bags by the door, and slammed the much older man against the stone wall behind him. The noise it made Yuuri sick to his stomach, and the nerves weren’t helping. Yakov had obviously hit a nerve in Viktor, because he’d been so calm and composed up until this point. He brought his face close to the old man’s, and all Yuuri could do was stare at the now unrecognizable man in front of him. Viktor may have been fit, but he was powerful in many other ways as well._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I know exactly what he’d say,” Viktor growled, “He’d call me a _faggot._ Probably get Vyacheslav and the others to knock some sense into me, maybe join in himself.” He pressed his forearm into Yakov’s throat, “You know, you watched it happen when he caught Chris and I before I left for school when I was sixteen. You were the one who drove me to the hospital, so don’t _fucking ask me to imagine what he’d say, because you and I both remember it vividly.”_ Every word was spat like venom, making Yakov flinch. Viktor was right, upon first glance Yuuri could tell Yakov was involved in Viktor’s scene. He’d lived a long life, seen a lot of things, but his angry nephew had him gaping like a fish out of water. He would be sorry he ever said anything in the first place, Yuuri was sure of it._ _ _ _ _ _

_______’He’s doing this for me.’_ _ _ _ _ _ _

______He pulled away, letting Yakov’s weight fall back onto unstable legs. His face didn’t soften when he turned, he just picked the bags up, grabbed Yuuri’s hand, and lead him back up the stairs towards their bedrooms._ _ _ _ _ _

______The blond pulled Yuuri into his bedroom, dropping the bags and shutting the door behind him. He brought his hands up to his head, gripping his hair as he had done earlier that morning in frustration. The Japanese boy was frozen still, gripping the bags like a lifeline, unable to do anything but watch as Viktor curled in on himself, and swung his arms to knock all the papers off his desk with a curse._ _ _ _ _ _

______Yuuri flinched, pushing his full weight against the front door. The noise must have brought Viktor back because he looked up, and moved towards the smaller boy. When he raised his hand to cup Yuuri’s cheek he flinched away, averting his eyes so he wouldn’t see the hurt flash across his face._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yuuri, please know I’d never do anything to hurt you.” He took a deep breath, “I did that because I’m so frustrated. I’ve given-“ His voice broke off, obviously still on an emotional high, “I’ve given him everything and asked for nothing in return but his loyalty, but I still get nothing but spite and distrust.” He was crying now, tears flowing freely as he brought his lips to Yuuri’s forehead. “They can’t come to terms with a _faggot_ leading them.” He collapsed against Yuuri, who struggled to support his weight. But Yuuri empathized, not quite understand the situation but the pain that came with it. He wrapped his arms around the older man, letting them both slide slowly to the floor so Viktor was in his lap, gripping onto Yuuri’s jacket. _ _ _ _ _ _

______“I feel like such an idiot.” The Russian laughed, “I’ve been trying to show this guise of confidence to you at all times, and a little argument has me falling to pieces.” He pulled back, trying to manage a smile but it came across as forced as all hell. “I can’t remember the last time I cried.” Yuuri wrapped his arms around Viktor’s shoulders and let Viktor fall back onto him, trying to sooth him with soft words and a hand in his hair._ _ _ _ _ _

______“D-Don’t worry,”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“But I _scared you again.”__ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s fine, things happen. I understand.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Viktor pulled away, brushing Yuuri’s hair from his face._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m supposed to be the one taking care of you, this is odd.” They both chuckled, loosening the tension a bit._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It seems that the tables have turned.” Yuuri reached up and pressed a gentle kiss to the taller man’s lips, “I don’t mind.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Viktor dove in, pushing them that much closer. His hips were now flush against Yuuri’s, straddling his lap with his arms above Yuuri’s head on the door. It quickly became heated, Yuuri opening his mouth slightly to let Viktor in, and show him he wanted it._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Are you sure that’s alright?” Viktor broke off, face stained red from tears._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s fine, I’m the one who put it on the table.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Viktor nodded, leaned in for another quick kiss, and pulled away much to Yuuri’s dismay. He stood but bent and picked Yuuri up, one hand under his legs and the other around his back, lifting him so he’d have no choice but to wrap himself around the taller man._ _ _ _ _ _

_______‘Did he just pick me up with one arm?’_ _ _ _ _ _ _

______Yuuri knew he’d lost quite a bit of weight since he’d started working at Alexei’s, but he wasn’t anywhere near skinny. Viktor carried him over to the bed, laying him down underneath him and leaning down again to kiss him deeper than before, letting his tongue flick against Yuuri’s bottom lip, asking him for permission again. He let him in, one hand on Viktor’s face and the other gripping tightly to his toned bicep through the jacket. Viktor could sense it, and he leaned back to unbutton his jacket, as well as Yuuri’s, and dropped them onto the floor beside the bed. The boy ran a hand down Viktor’s clothed chest, letting his fingers find all the bumps and grooves in it as Viktor licked hot and sweet into his mouth once again._ _ _ _ _ _

______He adjusted them again so Yuuri’s head was resting on one of the dozens of pillows around them, and reached down without breaking the kiss to run a hand under Yuuri’s sweater to touch his stomach._ _ _ _ _ _

______When had he removed his gloves? Yuuri couldn’t remember, but cold fingers on the soft flesh of his stomach were a shock to his senses. The fingers, despite being cold, left white-hot trails across the sensitive skin above his belt. He shuddered, urging Viktor to lick further into his mouth and explore further under the shirt._ _ _ _ _ _

______The older man slowed, running his hands from Yuuri’s chest down to his navel again, abandoning his mouth to bite and suck at the boy’s neck. Yuuri let him, relishing in the feeling of attention on _him_ for once. _ _ _ _ _ _

______But Viktor soon latched a finger in the buckle of Yuuri’s belt, making him stiffen and tighten his grip in the blond locks._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Do you want to stop?” Viktor looked up at him with a look of genuine concern, making Yuuri feel bad to have asked him to stop._ _ _ _ _ _

_______’Remember who he is,’_ Yuuri reminded himself, _’Don’t do anything stupid.’__ _ _ _ _ _

______“No, but I think I’m just not ready for that yet.” Viktor nodded, grinning again as he leaned down to kiss Yuuri, chaste and sweet. He let himself relax, dropping down beside Yuuri and nuzzling into his neck as if he was going to sleep._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Thank you, my Yuuri.” He whispered._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Viktor,”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The man hummed in acknowledgement._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I didn’t say _stop.”_ He swung a leg over Viktor’s lap, straddling him again. He caught Viktor’s lips, startling the man. For a minute Yuuri thought he’d crossed a line, but Viktor quickly softened and began kissing him back, letting Yuuri set the pace this time. _ _ _ _ _ _

______Yuuri ground down onto his lap, feeling Viktor’s impressive length pressing against him through the fabric of their jeans. His own member had taken interest minutes before, and he could feel his arousal growing deep from the pit of his stomach._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Thank you for protecting me,” He whispered between kisses, putting a little more rock into his thrusts. It could have meant just moments before in front of Yakov, but both knew somehow that it was more than that. _’Thank you for picking me at Alexei’s.’_ was the unspoken understanding between them. Yuuri couldn’t help but feel grateful for all he’d been given these past few days, and thought he owed Viktor this much in return. After all, this was the deal. _ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ohhh Yuuri,” Viktor moaned, gently laying his hands on the smaller boy’s hips but holding back, obviously tempted to push his hips harder, increasing the pressure._ _ _ _ _ _

_______’Thank you for holding back.’_ _ _ _ _ _ _

______Yuuri angled himself a bit differently so their cocks were perfectly aligned and the pressure was _just right. _His mouth gaped open, and his head hung back, opening an expanse of skin for Viktor to latch onto. He took advantage of the moment, licking and sucking marks across Yuuri’s exposed collarbone and shoulder muscles.___ _ _ _ _ _

________“You make me feel so good, my Yuuri,” Viktor’s accent was thicker now, “Let me make you feel good, too, please don’t hold back.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yuuri almost laughed, because who knew being treated with mutual respect and kindness could be a kink? He was fully hard now, baring all of his weight down onto Viktor’s lap, trying to get the message across even through the thick fabric of their trousers. He let out a loud, choked moan as Viktor pressed up into him and nipped a sensitive spot at the base of his neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That’s it, _lyubov,”_ Yuuri decided then and there that he really did like Russian, “Let it out, come with me, please.” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It was the please that did it for Yuuri, and the pretty teen coming undone in his lap did it for Viktor. Almost simultaneously they came, heads coming to rest against each other as they spilt into their boxers and froze still._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They both came down, huffing heavily and latching onto each other still. Viktor smiled at him sweetly and leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his swollen lips. Yuuri was amazed that this was the man he’d been so afraid of only minutes before, but forgot about it quickly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We should go get changed, I don’t really feel like sleeping in soiled boxers, do you?” Yuuri smiled and shook his head, reluctantly climbing off the Russian’s lap and walking to retrieve his bags so he could change into clean clothes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yuuri?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The boy turned around, unable to hold back a smile at the older man looking absolutely wrecked where he’d been moments earlier._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Would you like to come back to bed with me after?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yuuri nodded immediately. Viktor had shown tonight that he knew where to draw the line and when he could push it. He trusted him not to overstep any bounds, and it would be nice to just share a bed with somebody for once and not have them expecting anything in return._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They cleaned up, Yuuri returning moments later in a pair of soft sweatpants and a t-shirt. Viktor, however, was not wearing much. He was sitting up in bed looking at some sort of schedule book, sheets pooling around his lap, but Yuuri could see the elastic of his boxers just peeking out from above them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I don’t really wear pajamas to bed, is that alright with you? I can find some sweatpants or something-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I don’t mind.” Yuuri reassured him, walking over to the bed and sliding under the covers with the other man. He put the book down on the bedside table, and joined Yuuri under the blankets._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The boy set his head down gently on Viktor’s chest, letting his fingers wander down to touch the scars he hadn’t seen a few nights prior when Viktor had been drying after the shower. He had been too far away, and his skin was so pale it blended with the older scars easily, but there were some that were thick and dark, Yuuri couldn’t help but wonder how he hadn’t noticed them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Do they make you uncomfortable?” His stomach tightened, but Yuuri adjusted himself so he was hovering over Viktor’s stomach, and pressed his lips gently to the largest one before he put himself back down in the crook between his arm and chest._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Not at all.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’m glad then,” He sighed, brushing a soothing hand through Yuuri’s freshly cut black locks. The boy couldn’t help but feel tired already, it had been a long day and the circles Viktor was rubbing into his scalp right now had felt almost as good as coming minutes before, but suddenly Viktor’s voice broke through his thoughts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Do you like tattoos?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What?” He mumbled in reply._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Tattoos.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I guess so. I don’t have any, though, why?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Would you like some?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yuuri laughed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Where is this coming from?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Viktor lifted his shoulder so it was in Yuuri’s line of sight. There was an eight-point star just below his collarbone, inked in black, almost three-dimensional. Yuuri reached out to touch it, gently like it was fresh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Is this Bratva?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes, most of us have it.” Viktor then pulled his arm out from behind Yuuri, letting himself roll over to reveal another tattoo on his shoulder blade of a blue rose. The shading and colouring was immaculate, and the Cyrillic looked like it was written in calligraphy, there were even thorns on the stem, all adding up to look like a real flower resting on the milky expanse of Viktor’s back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It was for my mother.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yuuri really couldn’t help but touch. He reached in and ran his fingers over the lines, down the stem, across every petal, until Viktor rolled back over, fingers ghosting over the line of his jaw, dipping down to engulf still-swollen lips into a kiss._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What does it say?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Eternal.” He smiled solemnly, “Yura made fun of me when I got it, said it was a little effeminate for a Pakhan to have, and that I should have gotten a gun or something.” Yuuri’s eyes fluttered shut again, but a smile was still plastered across his face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I like it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Viktor couldn’t help but smile down at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So do I.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to originally give Viktor lots of nasty tattoos, but I feel like that's really not him, and he'd be a little more reserved about it. I only see him wanting tattoos with meanings, so I gave him just a few.


	4. One Of These Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'One Of These Nights' by The Eagles.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place throughout the month following the last chapters. 
> 
> Warning: Anxiety and flashbacks, and some heavy frick-fracking at the end. *finger guns* *winky face*

It hadn’t taken long for the others to warm up to Yuuri, and for Yuuri to warm up to them. 

Mila was the first, which was surprising because she’d been one of the worst at first. One morning Yuuri was in the kitchen trying to work the coffee maker, but it had obviously looked like he was frustrated. He hadn’t heard the redhead enter the room, and he jumped when she stepped into his space, almost making him drop the French Press. 

“Do you need something?” 

He was taken aback; it took him a moment to process what she had said, and that it was directed towards him. 

“Viktor had kind of a rough night last night, and I-I wanted to bring him coffee but I really have no idea what to do.” 

She smiled, taking the lid and cup from him and setting it down on the table. 

“It’s really not so difficult, let me show you.” 

Yuuri was worried at first, was she doing it out of pity? She showed him to put five scoops of the expensive grinds into the glass container, then boil the water. When it was done she poured it, and let it steep then pulled out three mugs. Mila let Yuuri pour the coffee, and took her own after pouring some milk into it. 

“Thanks so much.” He’d told her, dumping some caramel creamer into Viktor’s cup. 

“No problem, Yuuri, I know how terrible he can be in the morning, especially since he’s gotten older.” She winked at him, walking out of the kitchen with her own cup. Yuuri sat for a moment, slightly dumbfounded, but he eventually picked up their mugs and brought them up the stairs. 

When he returned, he flicked the light switch on, but he must have forgot to set the dimmer lower because they came on full blast, making Viktor groan loudly and pull the pillow over his head. 

“Sorry! Sorry,” Yuuri yelped and turned off the light, then walked over to sit on the bed. “I brought you coffee, do you want it now?” 

The older man froze, but then brought his head out from under the pillow to sit up. He reached over, trying to get Yuuri to give him the cup. Bringing it to his lips, he paused as the hot liquid hit his mouth and assaulted his senses. He really didn’t know how Yuuri drank it black, he couldn’t stand the taste, he just drank it for an extra pick-me-up. 

“Good…” Viktor mumbled, glad Yuuri had gotten the creamer right, although he probably would have drank it regardless if the teen made it. He let his head rest back against the headboard and grinned sleepily at Yuuri. “Did you make this?” 

“With some help. Mila showed me.” Viktor hummed and brought his hand up to Yuuri’s face to pull him in. Both of their mouths were hot, a contrast of bitter and sweet, but neither complained. 

“What time is it?” Viktor whispered after Yuuri pulled back for breath. 

“A little before eight.” 

“Well, shit.” Viktor took a big gulp of the drink, ignoring the burning in his throat. “I should’ve been up hours ago, that’s not like me.” The Russian set his coffee on the bedside table and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He brushed the hair back from his face, attempting to look slightly less dishevelled from last nights endeavours, but he stopped when he saw Yuuri, hair looking messy and wearing Viktor’s sweater over his t-shirt. The boy must have caught him staring, because he made a move to pull it off. 

“Sorry! It was too cold for just a t-shirt so I-“ 

Viktor cut him off with another kiss, laying his hands on Yuuri’s hips. 

“Please keep it on…” Viktor growled at him possessively, leaning in again with a little more passion then before. He pulled Yuuri’s bottom lip between his teeth, making Yuuri whimper slightly and relax his hands down to Viktor’s thighs. Viktor pulled away, adjusting the sweater so it wasn’t slipping off Yuuri’s shoulder. 

“I do think Yakov owes me, so it should be fine.” He grabbed his coffee and pulled Yuuri back with him against the headboard. There were no complaints from Yuuri; he just liked to be close right now, to feel the warmth radiating from Viktor’s chest. It was welcoming in the chill of the mansion air, a comfort, not too hot like it had been back at Alexei’s. 

~~~

Yuri was a bit different from Mila. Yuuri felt like they’d take two steps forward, then one right back. Viktor assured him this was normal, but he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. 

Viktor had finished work earlier than expected. He’d asked Yuuri if he wanted to go to dinner, as they hadn’t left the house for a while and were feeling quite cooped up. 

They bundled up for the cold winter evening, and were just pulling on their shoes when Yuri came down the stairs, looking rather solemn. 

“What’s wrong, Yura?” 

Yuri rolled his eyes at the nickname, but turned back to the two men. 

“Yakov wouldn’t let me go to Kazakhstan with Georgi.” He crossed his arms, “Where are you two going?” 

“To dinner, maybe a movie. Would you like to come with us? Maybe that would make you feel a bit better.” 

The younger blond thought for a minute, but eventually nodded. 

“Just let me go grab my jacket, I’ll be a minute.” He turned around and started walking back up the stairs, “You two better not be gross!” 

~~~

Yuuri learned quite a bit about Yuri over dinner. He tried to stay quiet like Viktor had told him, letting the cousins bicker back and forth as he ate his salad. 

“You’re too quiet.” Yuri snapped at him, breaking him from his stupor.

“… Sorry?” 

“Do you not speak English very well?” 

Viktor kicked him under the table, causing the teen to yelp. _The current Pakhan of the St. Petersburg Bratva, everybody._

“I do, I just didn’t want to interrupt.” 

Yuri’s brow furrowed, and his mouth was set in a firm line. Yuuri realized this is the first sentence he’d ever spoken to the younger boy. 

“You’re American?” 

“Japanese, but I lived in America for a long time.” 

Yuri’s face stayed as it was, but he leaned across the table like he was going to tell Yuuri something very important. 

“Have you seen… Kill Bill?” 

Yuuri was taken aback. That was… not what he had been expecting. Viktor kicked him under the table again, making Yuri coil back and shoot him a glare.

“Yes, of course, why do you ask?” 

Yuri’s face lit up, and he sat back in his seat. 

“I watched them when I was ten for the first time, and ever since I’ve wanted to visit Japan. I thought O-Ren was the coolest character.” He looked fairly pleased with himself, but Viktor groaned. 

“All he talked about was Kill Bill for a year straight. All his clothes are only the finest name brand imports from Japan,” Viktor laughed, “You have an obsession.”

It was Yuri’s turn to kick his cousin under the table. 

“It’s what’s fashionable right now! But you wouldn’t know anything about that, old man.” 

Yuuri laughed at the antics, maybe he shouldn’t have felt as intimidated by Yuri this whole time. 

“Have you read or seen Lady Snowblood?” 

Yuri frowned and shook his head. 

“It’s a manga that was adapted into a movie. Meiko Kaji plays a female samurai out for revenge. O-Ren’s character, and a lot of Kill Bill, was influenced by it and a lot of people say it was a remake of Lady Snowblood. You’d probably really like it.”

Yuri’s eyes shone, and he turned to Viktor. 

“You picked a good one, Viktor, good job.” 

They finished dinner and talked about their favourite films, Viktor sitting back and letting the boys get closer. It was easy to forget Yuuri and Yuri were less than two years apart, but now it was brought right to the front. Yuuri probably missed people his age. 

They left for the cinema, Viktor leading Yuuri to a lounge of sorts. He’d heard about these sorts of things before but he was always too young to go to them if he’d ever had time. There were other people in the theatre, which surprised Yuuri, he would have thought that they’d be alone, but everybody else was spread out amongst the seats below them.. A man came around, handing them champagne, except he passed some sort of soft drink down for Yuri. 

The seats were comfortable, and Yuuri sunk back into the seat as the movie started. He didn’t really know what the movie was about, all he’d been told was that it was some new artistic film Viktor had wanted to go see that had no dialogue. It was slow, and he really didn’t understand what was going on, but Viktor had reached over at some point and grabbed his hand and began caressing it lightly with his thumb. It was distracting, Viktor had taken his gloves off and his hands were unusually warm. Yuuri mustered the courage to reach up and kiss the corner of Viktor’s mouth, which had him whipping his head around to look at the smaller boy. Shadows clouded most of his face, but the glow of the large screen gave away the look of shock and pleasure on Viktor’s face. 

Suddenly, he was glad they had the back row to themselves, because Viktor had abandoned his champagne on the tray and was on Yuuri, knees on either side of the cushioned seat, heads cupping the sides of his head. He leaned in to Yuuri’s space, letting the Japanese boy close that extra inch so their lips connected. 

He’d tried to be quiet, he really did, but when Viktor shifted slightly and his as ground against Yuuri’s lap he _whimpered_ and squirmed in the seat. The noise had Yuri turning in their direction, but he quickly turned it the other way, making a noise of disgust. 

Yuuri tried not to let it distract him, that Yuri could see them and knew, and that anybody could look up and see the large Russian man in his lap, but Viktor didn’t seem to care at all. Yuuri had learned in the last few weeks he’d known the man that he found every opportunity to show people Yuuri was _his, _and he got off on it. He pushed the man away a bit away, trying to steady his breathing as to not make any more noise that might draw attention.__

___“Not here…”_ He whispered, and Viktor surprisingly just nodded, placing a soft kiss to the boys mouth, and moved back into the seat beside Yuuri. _ _

__When they finished, they left the lounge hand in hand, Yuri a bit in front of them as they moved to the car._ _

__“That movie was so **DUMB.** ” Yuri groaned, “Why did you pick that? The new Maxim Mikhailov movie just came out, I would’ve much rather enjoyed that.” _ _

__“I don’t know, I thought it was pretty great.”_ _

__“Yeah,” Yuuri rolled his eyes, “That’s because you had your tongue down somebody’s throat the whole time.” He said something else, quick and mumbled in Russian that had Viktor clearing his throat. Yuri looked less than apologetic, opening the passenger door to show Viktor and Yuuri they were sitting in the back._ _

__Later that night, right before bed, Viktor joined Yuuri in the bathroom as he brushed his teeth. He wound his arms around the boy’s waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. Yuuri spat, washing out the sink._ _

__“What did Yuri say earlier? At the movies before we got in the car.”_ _

__Anger flashed in Viktor’s eyes, but his expression remained neutral._ _

__“He probably meant nothing of it,” Viktor’s jaw was set tight, and Yuuri wondered whether it would have been better just to not ask at all, “But he called you jailbait.”_ _

__~~~_ _

__Georgi took barely any reasoning at all._ _

__He was getting back from Kazakhstan, all of his bags had already been brought outside but he seemed to be struggling with the last two, Yuuri caught him walking by and saw him tripping and fighting to get the bags up the stairs so he stopped._ _

__“Here, let me.” He grabbed the larger bag and picked it up, setting it over his shoulders._ _

__“T-Thanks.” Georgi must have been remembering the first time they met, wondering why Yuuri was being so kind of him now._ _

__“Pojaluysta, is that how you say it?” Georgi followed Yuuri up the stairs, “Viktor’s been trying to help me learn but I really don’t think I’m any good.”_ _

__“No, that was great!” Georgi said truthfully, “You must be a natural. You’re so lucky, I’ve never had a girlfriend as kind as Viktor is to you, I’ve never seen my brother so happy.”_ _

__Yuuri was taken aback; nobody had ever made a comment like that about his and Viktor’s relationship. Yuuri nodded and followed Georgi to his bedroom, listening as Georgi spewed a story about his latest failures in love, with a young woman named Anya._ _

__“I think she was just intimidated by me.” He held his free hand to his heart, “Thank you, Yuuri, you’re a good listener.”_ _

__Yuuri smiled and handed him the bag, turning back around to leave and head back to his room, not wanting to interrupt Viktor in his study._ _

__~~~_ _

__Viktor’s friends and associates were a whole different story._ _

__Yuuri had taken to making dinner sometimes. He enjoyed working with the family cook, Lilia, as it reminded him of the time when he helped at the onsen back in Hasetsu, or cooking with his own family. She was a rough older woman who Yuuri had come to learn used to date Yakov, but they’d long since been broken up. Viktor and Yuri had taken such a liking to her that she’d stuck around, much to Yakov’s dismay. She spoke English very well, but kept talking to a minimum. Her comments were blunt and sometimes rude, but Yuuri had come to like her._ _

__“Yuuri, watch the roast.” He nodded to her, and set the timer on the oven. They were apparently having a dinner party that night with some of the family’s partners from different countries. Yuuri was feeling rather nervous at the thought of meeting these people, even though Viktor had assured him they’d be kind and polite, so he had asked if he could help Lilia in any way before the guests showed up and he had to get dressed._ _

__She’d been back and forth, making sure the servants set up the table correctly and _‘not half-assed like last time’._ Yuuri pushed his glasses further up his nose, a gift from Viktor after he’d told him he’d struggled with nearsightedness for the past few years. He opened the oven and put in the thermometer, deciding the roast was cooked right and pulled it out, preparing to set it on the top of the stove-_ _

__But suddenly there were hands around his waist, gripping firmly to his hips and running down his thighs. Hands that were certainly not Viktor’s, and cologne that smelt nothing of him, Viktor hated strong cologne._ _

__Yuuri jumped slightly when the person made a noise in his ear, almost dropping the roast. He spun around, detaching the hands from his sides and leaning back against the counter so he could get a good look at the man who just _groped _him.___ _

____He was tall, with blond hair and an undercut. Tan, too, with a bit of facial hair. Yuuri hadn’t seen him around here at all, so he must be coming for dinner tonight, considering how nicely he was dressed. He said something in Russian, too quick for him to understand, but Yuuri must’ve looked confused because he quickly switched to thickly accented English._ _ _ _

____“I didn’t know Viktor got a new cook.” He reached out to run a hand across Yuuri’s jaw, “I would have dressed better if I knew somebody so pretty would be serving us tonight.” Yuuri prayed for somebody to walk in, to interrupt this man so he wouldn’t have to decide what was the right thing to do. He leaned back as the man leaned in, trying to get a better look at Yuuri’s face over his glasses. Just as he reached over to remove them, Viktor cleared his throat from the other side of the room._ _ _ _

____“Chris,” There was an unmistakable edge to his voice, “I didn’t expect you so early?”_ _ _ _

____“Viktor!” Chris moved away from Yuuri to walk to Viktor, slinging an arm around his neck. What nerve this guy had, especially while Viktor was obviously ticked._ _ _ _

____“It’s nice to see you, old friend, the game just isn’t the same without you! By the way, good taste in kitchen staff, that one’s a real looker. A little young, but otherwise definitely your type.” He winked at Yuuri, who was still pressed up against the kitchen counter._ _ _ _

____“Actually,” Viktor lifted Chris’ arm off his shoulders and waltzed gracefully over to Yuuri. “He’s not staff.” Viktor wrapped an arm protectively around Yuuri’s shoulders, which had the younger boy instinctively leaning into the taller man’s side._ _ _ _

____Chris’ eyes widened and his mouth gaped slightly._ _ _ _

____“Oh- **Oh.** ” He shook his head and laughed, “So sorry, Viktor, you know I’d never if I knew!” _ _ _ _

____“I know, Chris.” Viktor’s face was void of emotion, “So I expect it to not happen again.”_ _ _ _

____Any other person would be shitting themself right about now, but not Chris. It had Yuuri thinking back to what Viktor had said to Yakov a few weeks before about his dad beating him after catching him with a boy. They seemed to know each other quite well, was this the same Chris?_ _ _ _

____He didn’t have long to dwell on it because Viktor was pulling him away from the kitchen, leading him up the stairs to their room to get dressed._ _ _ _

____“What should I wear?” He called to Viktor who was sorting through his closet._ _ _ _

____“If it were up to me? Nothing.” Yuuri chastised him from the other room but Viktor just laughed, “I’d be lying if I said I was kidding, but you should wear that suit I had made for you last week.” Yuuri nodded, getting up and moving to his own bedroom where his clothes were. Although Viktor’s room was plenty spacious and he spent most of his time in there anyway, Viktor had insisted he kept his own space, as he’d probably want privacy sometimes. Yuuri agreed, and it was nice to have a space he could call his own._ _ _ _

____He changed, and there was a knock at the door._ _ _ _

____“Come in.” He called out, and the door edged its way open slowly._ _ _ _

____“Wow,” was Viktor’s only comment, sneaking over behind Yuuri looking at himself in the mirror and snaking his arms around his waist. Yuuri noted that he was covering all the spots Chris had touched, rubbing his thighs and hips with gentle hands. “You look ravenous,”_ _ _ _

____“The same could be said for you.” Yuuri retorted, turning around in his grasp and standing on his toes to meet his lips._ _ _ _

____Viktor dipped down slightly, already prepared for the kiss. His grip tightened a bit, and when Yuuri pulled away the entire atmosphere had changed. Viktor’s eyes looked wild, almost obsessive. Yuuri felt like he was about to be eaten alive._ _ _ _

____“Let’s get through this dinner, I’d like to put all of tonight’s events passed us.”_ _ _ _

____~~~_ _ _ _

____Viktor’s hand didn’t leave his waist the entire time they left the bedroom, not even when guests arrived. He reluctantly let Yuuri go when they entered the dining room, making sure to seat the boy beside him across from Yuri. There were many people at the table of all sorts of ethnicities and dress, Chris between Yuuri and an older man, Yakov at the end of the table across from Viktor. Yuri seemed to be quite engaged in conversation with a dark haired man around Yuuri’s age who sat beside him, and he wondered if this was the infamous Otabek he was always talking about. Yuuri wondered what Otabek’s relations were to the family, he seemed rather young to be involved in this sort of thing, but then again so did Yuuri._ _ _ _

____Staff brought out their meal with some wine and the dinner was quiet, only one person spoke at a time. It was strange for Yuuri, set him on edge a bit, but if this was what polite conversation was he should probably get used to it. The boy ate his dinner quietly, barely looking up except when Viktor whispered a question here and there about the food quality. He nodded his answer, remembering the reminders Viktor had given him about _speak when spoken to.__ _ _ _

____He grabbed his wine and looked up, locking eyes with the man a few seats down from Otabek and beside Georgi. He was tall, with thick tanned skin like leather and long hair tied back in a ponytail over one shoulder. Yuuri recognized him immediately but he was unsure if the man did too._ _ _ _

____He froze, dropping his knife and fork on the plate with a clink._ _ _ _

____“Is something wrong?” Viktor rested a hand on Yuuri’s arm over the table._ _ _ _

____“No… Yes- I,” He averted his gaze, looking down at the plate. “T-That’s the man who took me from my foster home and brought me to Alexei’s.”_ _ _ _

____Viktor straightened in his chair but didn’t let go of Yuuri’s arm._ _ _ _

____“You’re sure?”_ _ _ _

____“Y-Yeah…”_ _ _ _

____The Russian breathed deeply._ _ _ _

____“That’s fucked…” Yuri whispered under his breath at nobody in particular, setting back in to his dinner and motioning for Otabek to do the same._ _ _ _

____“I’m sorry, Yuuri,” He seemed sincere, “I had no idea. Celestino has worked for our family for quite some time, his work is very important.” Yuuri shot up, looking Viktor straight in the eye._ _ _ _

____“Important?”_ _ _ _

____“He oversees most of the American traffic.”_ _ _ _

____“Hm…” Yuuri looked like he was going to be sick. He cleaned up his utensils and picked up his cup and plate. “Excuse me.” He stood, moving towards the kitchen that was unoccupied. He heard Viktor call after him, but he ignored it. He moved to the sink, trying to find some comfort in thoughtless task he’d done so many times before._ _ _ _

____He hadn’t realized he’d been crying until he tasted salt on his lips, cursing himself for being such a baby. He knew Viktor’s crowd was full of shady characters, but he never expected to see somebody from his past here. New people he could deal with. He knew Viktor would protect him, and he had no prior connections, so it seemed okay. It had felt like a stab in the heart when Viktor had defended the man, though. How could he? Somebody even shoots the wrong look in Yuuri’s direction and Viktor was on them in seconds, but this man had ruined his life in more ways than one and all Viktor was to say was _’Sorry.’__ _ _ _

____“Yuuri, I-“ Yuuri turned around; surprised Viktor had abandoned his work to come find him. He stopped when he saw the tear tracks on Yuuri’s face, and opened his arms for Yuuri to hug him, but the boy turned away._ _ _ _

____“Please, Yuuri,” He pleaded, “I know you’re upset, you have every reason to be.” He tried to step closer, but Yuuri flinched and gripped tighter to the edges of the counter, making Viktor recoil. “You know I’d never let anything happen to you, do you not trust me?”_ _ _ _

____“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” his voice wavered, unsteady. “I just saw him and I got so angry for a second, and I know this is your life and I just have to-“ He paused momentarily, “I know I just have to go along with it because you own me and I owe you but i-it was just hard.” His voice got quiet at the end, he knew he’d probably upset Viktor. He closed his eyes tight, expecting Viktor to yell and curse, maybe even hit him, but it never came. Long arms wrapped around him, making him cringe inwardly._ _ _ _

____“I don’t want you to ever feel that way, Yuuri, nobody owns you.” Yuuri perked up, confused. “If anybody owes anyone, I owe you. I owe everything to you, love,” He kissed the crown of Yuuri’s hair, “Please understand like I’m trying to. I know it probably brought back memories. You can go upstairs if you want, but it might be better just to get it over with now. You will see him again, if not today then next time.”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri had at some point gripped onto Viktor, and it took all his effort to pry himself off of him. He nodded, wiping his face. Viktor leaned down, kissing him gently, trying to share his confidence with the younger boy._ _ _ _

____They entered the room again, Viktor pulling Yuuri’s chair out for him. Yakov glared at both of them from the end of the table but stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt the conversation about some sort of shipment going on between Chris and the Korean representative across from him._ _ _ _

____Later, Viktor said goodbye to everybody. Most goodbyes consisted of a firm handshake or bow, but when he got to Chris the taller man pulled him in and laid a loud kiss to his cheek, much to Yakov’s dismay._ _ _ _

____“I miss you, Vitya.”_ _ _ _

____What made Chris think he was special enough to use that name?_ _ _ _

____“I miss you too, Chris, but if you touch my Yuuri again I’ll cut your hands off and feed them to your cat.”_ _ _ _

____Chris just laughed, taking the _very real_ threat in stride. _ _ _ _

____When he finished, he sent Yuuri up to his bedroom, telling him Yakov just wanted a word._ _ _ _

____Yuuri got ready for bed slowly. When he finished brushing his teeth and left the bathroom Viktor still wasn’t back, so he got into bed by himself. Despite the thick duvet it felt cold and empty; far too big for just one person._ _ _ _

____He heard the door click, and soft footsteps made their way over to the bed. It dipped under Viktor’s weight and he leaned down to kiss the top of Yuuri’s head, the only thing not covered by the duvet._ _ _ _

____“How did I get so lucky, Yuuri?” He buried his face in his hair, but Yuuri didn’t reply. He was still feeling a little prickly from earlier. “How are you feeling?”_ _ _ _

____The boy breathed deep and slow._ _ _ _

____“Still a little shaken, but it’ll be fine.” He rolled over to look into Viktor’s eyes. He looked sad, his eyes were even a little watery._ _ _ _

____“It hurt me to look at you like that, love, I don’t want to put you through that ever again, but it has to.”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri nodded. He understood, really, this was Viktor’s line of work and it was inevitable. He lifted his arms up, trying to show Viktor he wanted a kiss. The Russian reacted immediately, leaning into the touch and kissing Yuuri gently like he was made of paper and glass._ _ _ _

____“Get ready for bed,” Yuuri sent him off to brush his teeth and put his suit away, and when he returned Yuuri had turned back to the wall, facing away from the edge of the bed._ _ _ _

____Viktor slipped under the covers, running his cold hands down Yuuri’s soft stomach and making him shiver. The hands reached the waistband of Yuuri’s boxers and he paused, leaning in closer so his chest was flush against Yuuri’s back and his mouth was right against Yuuri’s ear._ _ _ _

____“Are you wearing my boxers, Yuuri?”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri nodded, and Viktor growled. Yuuri felt him against his backside; he was a little hard as he slipped his legs between the smaller boy’s. Yuuri grinned to himself and arched into Viktor’s warmth, grinding his ass the slightest bit against the man’s lap._ _ _ _

____He groaned, gripping a little harder to Yuuri’s hips._ _ _ _

____“Stop, Yuuri, I won’t be able to stop if you keep doing that.”_ _ _ _

____“… Then don’t.”_ _ _ _

____Viktor was silent._ _ _ _

____“What?”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri spun around, leaning up so he could flip himself up and over Viktor’s lap._ _ _ _

____“Don’t hold back, I’m ready.”_ _ _ _

____Viktor didn’t pounce on him like Yuuri had expected. Although, Viktor had always liked to make sure Yuuri was comfortable before he did anything._ _ _ _

____“Are you sure, love?” He reached up to run his thumb along his jaw, hand slipping softly into thick black locks._ _ _ _

____“I’m positive.” He leaned down, catching Viktor’s lips and immediately opening his mouth slightly so Viktor would get the message._ _ _ _

____Did he ever. He pulled Yuuri closer, letting their cocks brush through the thin fabric of their underwear. Yuuri’s mouth opened further at the friction, involuntarily pushing further into the pressure._ _ _ _

____Viktor spun them around, pushing Yuuri up the bed._ _ _ _

____“Tell me if you need me to stop.” Yuuri nodded, letting Viktor work his way from his mouth, down his jaw to his neck. He knew Yuuri was sensitive, especially on his collarbones and navel. He went agonizingly slow, licking and sucking marks, some of which Yuuri knew would be visible over his t-shirt and sweater, until he made it down to the waistband of his boxers._ _ _ _

____Yuuri’s cock twitched at the hot breath above his groin, fighting the urge to press up into it. Viktor pulled them down with his teeth, letting Yuuri’s half-hard member pop up from his thighs._ _ _ _

____He didn’t give Yuuri what he wanted yet, leaving wet kisses across the inside of his thighs and hips until Yuuri was that much harder, whining and wiggling below large, pale hands._ _ _ _

____The boy keened as Viktor pressed a sloppy kiss to the tip of his cock, dragging his tongue across the slit. Suddenly, after a rather desperate noise from Yuuri, Viktor brought his mouth around the tip. He chuckled when Yuuri tried to push up into his mouth to find Viktor’s hands firm on his hips holding him down, which really didn’t help Yuuri’s current situation._ _ _ _

____Viktor hadn’t even been touched but he was hard as a rock. He wanted to take his time with Yuuri, though, let him forget about what happened earlier._ _ _ _

____Viktor popped off much to Yuuri’s dismay, reaching into the bedside table to retrieve a brand new bottle of lube. He coated his fingers in it and moved back to wear he’d been._ _ _ _

____“Please let me know if you want me to stop, Yuuri, don’t let me push you too far.”_ _ _ _

____He went back down on Yuuri, going further than he had before whilst he simultaneously circled a finger around the tight ring of muscles at Yuuri’s entrance._ _ _ _

____The blond took all of Yuuri whilst he pushed a finger in all the way up to the knuckle. Yuuri couldn’t remember a time somebody had done this for him, prepped him with such care. Usually it was quick, rushed, but Viktor was taking his time. He was trying to distract Yuuri while he opened him with his fingers._ _ _ _

____Yuuri cried out as Viktor moved a bit faster, slipping a second finger in and began scissoring him. He hummed at the noise, pushing Yuuri to the edge, and doing it again when his finger brushed against the bundle of nerves inside him._ _ _ _

____“I’m ready,” the boy breathed out, “I need you right now.”_ _ _ _

____“I just don’t want to hurt you, love, just a moment.”_ _ _ _

____“It’s alright,” Yuuri huffed with a laugh, “I’m used to it, just go.”_ _ _ _

____Viktor frowned, moving back up to catch Yuuri’s lips._ _ _ _

____“It doesn’t need to hurt to feel good, just let me show you.”_ _ _ _

____Viktor pushed in a third finger when he felt he was ready. Stretching Yuuri was easy; he was practically bearing down on Viktor’s hand, trying to increase the tug. When he felt he was ready, whining loudly and hair sweat slicked to his forehead, Viktor removed his fingers and pulled off his own boxers. He set himself up in front of Yuuri’s slicked entrance and kissed him again, the boy tried to reciprocate but he was looking rather wrecked right now._ _ _ _

____“Ready?”_ _ _ _

____“P-Please, daddy…” it was whispered, and tears pricked the corner of Yuuri’s eyes. It had Viktor freezing, but Yuuri didn’t seem to notice, like it had just slipped out. Had he never had foreplay like this before? The thought irritated Viktor momentarily but Yuuri was quick to arch into him, snapping him back to reality._ _ _ _

____He pushed up and in, he’d prepped Yuuri quite thoroughly but he wondered if it had been enough. Yuuri didn’t seem to mind, biting down on his lip as Viktor buried himself to the hilt._ _ _ _

____The pace was slow at first, but Yuuri quickly relaxed around him and began crying, tears spilling down his face. Viktor took that as the cue to go faster, giving Yuuri what he wanted. If that was overwhelming, it was really too much when Viktor reached between them with lube-coated fingers and gripped his cock, stroking in time with his thrusts._ _ _ _

____Yuuri let go of his lip and called out._ _ _ _

____“Faster, daddy, please.”_ _ _ _

____Viktor didn’t think he was into that but _jesus fucking christ,_ the things it was doing to him now. He was definitely into this, for sure. He felt powerful, as he usually did, but this was different. He had the power to completely destroy Yuuri, yet he was giving him what he needed, taking care of him.  
_Almost like a father figure.__ _ _ _

____“Come for me, baby,” He breathed hot into Yuuri’s ear, slamming into him._ _ _ _

____“Vi-Viktor,” Yuuri’s eyes were glazed over and he tried to lean into kiss Viktor, but his lips just brushed his cheek._ _ _ _

____“That’s it, baby, you’re doing so good.”_ _ _ _

____Viktor bit down onto Yuuri’s shoulder, stifling a groan. Yuuri bit his lip again, almost hard enough to bleed, and he tightened around Viktor, both seeing stars as they spilt their loads._ _ _ _

____The boy whined when the older man pulled out, laying down beside him and ignoring the come spilling out hot between his thighs._ _ _ _

____“Thank you, Yuuri.” He whispered to him, “Thank you for trusting me.”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri grinned widely, looking rather dazed, but he kissed Viktor now with swollen lips. Viktor leaned into him, but pulled away when he felt the slightly sticky substance drying on his stomach._ _ _ _

____“I’ll be back, just a minute.”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri wined as the warmth Viktor was giving him left the bed, curling in on himself. He breathed in the scent deeply, for once the smell of sex and buzz that came with it didn’t feel like a bad thing. He felt drunk, but only the nice side effects. He was warm, felt light-headed, and-_ _ _ _

____Suddenly he snapped up in shock, and when Viktor entered the room with a washcloth he noted the horrified look on Yuuri’s face._ _ _ _

____“Oh-Oh my god…”_ _ _ _

____“What is it?” Viktor rushed over, cradling Yuuri’s face in his hand. “Did I do something wrong?”_ _ _ _

____“No! No, I just…” He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes, laughing out of embarrassment. “I can’t believe I called you that, sorry…”_ _ _ _

____Viktor’s look of concern turned into a sly grin. He attacked the marks on Yuuri’s neck, making him laugh and push him away._ _ _ _

____“I liked it, don’t worry.” He pulled the covers back, wiping the drying come from Yuuri’s stomach. “I think I liked it a little too much, actually.”_ _ _ _

____He cleaned up between Yuuri’s thighs, and his own stomach, then returned to the bathroom to throw the washcloth in the laundry hamper. He returned, wrapping himself around Yuuri’s warm body._ _ _ _

____“Thank you, Viktor, for being so patient. I know this is what you wanted.”_ _ _ _

____Viktor frowned._ _ _ _

____“Did you do all of this for me? Did you not want to?”_ _ _ _

____“No!” Yuuri spun around, linking his arms behind the blond’s head. “I mean- Yes! I did! Of course I did.” He frowned at the look on Viktor’s face, “What’s wrong was it not good? I was really into it, really, if you couldn’t tell-“_ _ _ _

____“No, Yuuri,” he kissed his forehead, “I just wanted to know that you were ready. I wanted you to see that this isn’t just about sex. Understand” Yuuri nodded, “There were so many other ways to show you my love, but I was hoping maybe this could be just one of them.”_ _ _ _

____The boy grinned, leaning in to kiss him again._ _ _ _

____“I wouldn’t mind.”_ _ _ _

____“So it was good then?” Yuuri nodded again,_ _ _ _

____“I think it was such a bad experience for me because it had always been about the other person, they never paid attention to me.”_ _ _ _

____“How could anybody do that?” Viktor pulled him close, “I don’t understand, Yuuri. When I see you, all I want to do is hold you and make sure you’re comfortable.”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri laughed, surprising Viktor._ _ _ _

____“You’re pretty soft for a mafia boss.”_ _ _ _

____Viktor poked him in the side but he chuckled too. He pulled the covers back over their shoulders and settled back in._ _ _ _

____He’d hoped Yuuri had put their earlier argument behind them, as he had. Yuuri had given him so much, been so good to him, he felt like he wasn’t doing enough._ _ _ _

____He hoped tonight would show Yuuri his true feelings._ _ _ _


	5. Travelling Riverside Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Travelling Riverside Blues' by Led Zeppelin.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains more mafia related scenes, and gets a bit rough at times. It is NOT easy to skip the violence, as it's spread throughout the chapter, and can be quite disturbing to some.
> 
> Look for the subtle (*snort*) hints in Viktor's behaviour. I've been going pretty easy for the first few chapters, but it's a downward spiral and I'm glad you sick fucks are enjoying it.

“It’s not the perfume that you wear, it’s not the ribbons in your hair-“ 

The sound of The Cars filled the room, even the steamy bathroom furthest from the record player. Yuuri was fresh out of a bath, wearing nothing but socks and underwear as he blow-dried his hair, using the brush as a microphone. 

“I don’t mind you comin’ here, and wastin’ all my time!” 

He slid across the wet bathroom floor, almost slipping but he caught himself. He hadn’t listened to a lot of music other than what his parents played as a kid, but Viktor’s extensive collection opened up so many new doors for him. 

“I guess you’re just what I needed!” 

The teen was yelling over the sound of the hairdryer now, shaking his hips along to the upbeat rhythm and guitar. He whipped his head around, black locks hitting him in the face. It had been quite a while since his haircut in America, and he was probably due for another one. 

It excited him. He could _ask_ for something as simple as a haircut, and he’d get it. When was the last time he’d danced around in his underwear? Done anything silly? Definitely not since before his parents passed. It felt nice to let loose and be a teen for once. 

The needle ran off the vinyl sometime after he finished drying his hair, turning the large room quiet. Now through the silence he heard footsteps creaking down the long hallway towards his door, but they stopped halfway down the hallway. It was most likely Viktor home from business, not many people came to this part of the house other than the maid, but she usually worked while nobody was home, or out of the room. 

He slipped on Viktor’s fluffy white housecoat, just in case. He didn’t need to embarrass himself any more than he already did to the old woman, when she’d walked into Viktor’s study to find Yuuri riding Viktor on his desk like there was no tomorrow, shouting loud and crying out as he came. She closed the door right away, and had acted like nothing had happened, but the moment would be forever burned into Yuuri’s memory.

Yuuri opened the door; the light in the bathroom down the hall was on. This was weird, Viktor normally would just waltz right in on Yuuri, self-consciousness out the window since they made love the first time, but Yuuri always was the one to greet Viktor with a kiss as he came home, so he thought nothing of it. The door was open, so it must’ve been an open invitation, right? 

Up until this point Yuuri could safely say he’d never felt scared of Viktor. Intimidated, yes, and worried for others, but never for himself or of Viktor directly. The older man had promised he’d never bring Yuuri into his work, and had always protected and shielded him from things of that sort. 

Yuuri understood why he hesitated to enter the bedroom. He must have heard the music and thought he could go by unattended. Why the door was open, he didn’t know, but he’d wished he’d just taken the hint and not peeked in.

Viktor looked completely normal. His face calm other than a slight furrow in his brow of frustration as he furiously scrubbed his hands. The water ran bright red into the sink and down the drain, matching his hands. At first Yuuri thought he had been cut, and was about to step in to ask him if he was hurt but that’s when Yuuri noticed his purple knuckles, and the light splattering across his face. 

Safe to say, that was not Viktor’s blood on his hands and dusting across his nose. It was somebody else’s life on the hands that had held him so tenderly just the night before. 

They made eye contact in the mirror, the blond’s look of frustration transformed into one of shock as he registered the look of horror on the teen’s face. 

Yuuri turned on his heels, hands clutching his mouth in an attempt not to vomit. He heard the water shut off behind him and the older man called out to him, but he ignored it. Instead of running to the end of the hall where he normally slept, he ran to his own bedroom, slamming the door behind him. 

Viktor was at it immediately, head hitting the door with a thump. Yuuri expected him to call out to him, bang on the door and demand he opened it, but he stayed quiet for a scarily long time. The black-haired boy sunk down against the door, tears welling in his eyes as he fought back the urge to vomit, but the bile was rising in his throat and he didn’t know how much longer he could fight it off. 

Those fingers had been _inside_ him. He’d kissed those knuckles and that face. That face:

He’d fallen in love with that face. 

He heard the man behind the door take a deep breath before trying the door handle. 

“Could you please let me in, my love?” 

Yuuri didn’t trust his voice to answer, but he surely would have said _’No.’_

“Yuuri, I thought you were still in the bath. Please, lyubov moya, just unlock the door.” 

Yuuri dropped his head between his legs, letting the tears fall down his face to the pristine white carpet below him. He couldn’t help but feel something had broken. He wasn’t supposed to see that, and things would be different now. He’d think about what he’d seen when they were in bed together, when those hands were wrapped around him while he slept, when the other man was inside of him, trying to earn his trust. 

“I didn’t-” there were tears in his words, “I didn’t expect this to happen so soon. Please, Yuuri, light of my life.” He spoke sweet words as he tried to coax Yuuri out of hiding. The blond truly did sound sorry, and Yuuri felt a twang of pity for him despite feeling utterly horrified otherwise.

But as he heard Viktor weeping quietly on the other side of the door Yuuri remembered what he’d said to him a week prior: 

_“I don’t want you to ever feel that way, Yuuri, nobody owns you. If anybody owes anyone, I owe you. I owe everything to you, love,”_

Yuuri was here against his own free will. Viktor loved him enough to let him go if he wanted. He accepted Viktor’s profession – No; lifestyle - a long time ago, and he knew that one of these days he’d get involved, regardless of whether it was intentional or not. Yuuri had accepted that, and promised Viktor he’d stay, now the older man was doubting his promises, worried the boy would leave him all by himself again. 

He reached up to the door, sliding away and unlocking it. Viktor suddenly went silent, tried the handle, and slowly pushed the door open. He was on Yuuri almost immediately, hovering, bearing over him like he wanted to touch him _so bad;_ like he was just out of his reach. 

“C-Can I?” 

There were tear stains down his face, he didn’t look like the same calm man Yuuri saw wiping _fresh blood_ from another man off his hands. The boy nodded, and Viktor latched onto him like a lifeline. He wrapped his legs around his body and linked his arms around his waist, trying to form a protective barrier around Yuuri. He kissed his face, over and over, slow and sweet. 

“I’m truly sorry,” Yuuri stopped crying as the man cooed to him, “I am, Yuuri, I can’t believe I’ve been so careless.” He kissed the top of his head, burying his nose in the soft, freshly cleaned locks. “Do you understand?” 

“I do…” Yuuri whispered shakily, “It had to happen sometime, it was just a little early.” 

Viktor looked startled at the words, like he expected Yuuri to _never_ forgive him in a million years. He wrapped him up tighter, pressing a hand protectively to the back of his head to cradle it so Yuuri’s face was in his chest. Yuuri took the opportunity, gripping Viktor’s jacket tight as new tears spilt over onto his cheeks. 

Viktor’s suit jacket smelt of strong cologne, so unlike him, but no matter how strong it was it still didn’t completely mask the coppery scent of blood off him. 

~~~

“Why are my eyes covered?” 

“Just wait, you’ll see when we get there.” 

“If you’re taking me to some sort of weird sex dungeon I’ll never forgive you. Then we’ll have sex, but after I’ll go back to never forgiving you.”

“It’s not a dungeon,” Viktor chuckled, taking a hand off the clutch to poke Yuuri in the side. “Just wait, love, I think you’ll like it.”

He pulled into an empty clearing, pulling a duffel bag from the back of his car before hopping out and moving to the other side of the car to open Yuuri’s door for him. They linked arms, Viktor leading him down a small dip in the ground.

“It’s so cold!” 

“I’m sure you’ll warm up in a few minutes, don’t worry.” 

“… And it’s not a sex dungeon?” 

“Yuuri!” 

“Alright, I’ll be quiet.” He giggled, letting Viktor take him to wherever he had planned. They stopped, and Viktor untied the blindfold, letting Yuuri take in the scene around him. 

“It’s… a frozen pond?”

“Not just a frozen pond,” Viktor laughed and held up the duffel bag, “I brought skates! Have you skated before?”

The Russian winter air was cold, incredibly so, but Yuuri quickly forgot. He jumped up, wrapping his arms tightly around Viktor’s neck. 

“I love skating! Thank you so much,” He kissed him long and sweet, yesterday’s ordeal overshadowed by the sweet notion. 

“I’m glad,” He grinned widely, “I’m quite the skater myself, actually.” He pulled back to open the duffel bag, uncovering two pairs of skates. 

They tied them quickly, and Yuuri quickly learned that Viktor was just as suave and graceful on the ice as he was off it. 

He was spinning and twirling all around Yuuri. He’d had some skating lessons when he was younger, not many, but enough that he could do some basic maneuvers. 

“Where did you learn to skate, Viktor?” 

“Yakov.” He smiled at the memory, “Well, Yakov took me to the lessons. I was always such a troublesome child, too much energy. Lilia suggested that since my father was always so busy maybe Yakov could take me to the skating rink. It became my passion for quite a while,” He pulled Yuuri into his arms and spun him gently, “I went as often as I could, but I quickly had other things to tend to. I never have time for skating anymore.” 

It was bittersweet, Yuuri could feel it, but it didn’t change the atmosphere at all. They laughed and skated circles around each other, enjoying some private time away from the mansion and constant peering eyes. 

They stayed until it became too cold and then some before getting back to the car. Stopping by a coffee shop for hot chocolate on the way home. 

When they got back, Viktor suggested a bath to warm them up, but not much bathing happened. 

They got into bed, and Yuuri didn’t think a single thought about the night before. However jarring and difficult to get over it had been, it was water under the bridge now, and Viktor had more than made up for it. Reminding himself of Viktor’s occupation helped, telling himself that he shouldn’t be so quick to judge; he’d done things he wasn’t proud of, and hoped Viktor didn’t think any less of him because of it. 

It was peaceful. He knew there’d be slip-ups, and that he’d have to face the facts sooner than later, but it was okay. This is what he signed up for.

~~~

_”I didn’t do it I swear!”_

**”Bullshit!”**

The heavy oak doors slammed open, no doubt denting the wall as the hand slammed back into it. Georgi had a man behind him, dragging him by the roots of his long, greasy black hair. The man screamed for helping, making Georgi grip tighter in an attempt to shut him the hell up. His men followed, dressed head to tow in black suits and polished shoes. 

Yakov entered the room, just about to yell about _’causing a ruckus and bringing big guns in the house’_ when he saw the man hanging off Georgi’s arm.

 _”What the hell is this?”_ He yelled at the younger man. Viktor must have heard the commotion because he rushed out from his study into the foyer where the men had gathered. 

_”I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”_ The man blathered, tears and snot streaming down his bruised face. 

_”Shut the hell up!”_ Georgi let him go, hitting him in the back of the head with the butt of his Kalashnikov so he’d fall forward to his hands and knees. _”This is Alois Fuchs, head of weapons manufacturing in Belarus,”_ he pointed the tip of his gun to the back of the man’s head, making him shoot them up in submission. _”But suddenly he’s decided he’d like to try another job title, like information broker for the Jo-Pok. Tell em’.”_ He dug the barrel into the man’s head, making him tremble even harder, body visibly shaking but he dared not move. 

_”Is this true?”_ Viktor, as always, gave no hints as to what he was thinking. 

_”I’d never!”_ The man shrieked, _“Please believe me, Pakhan, I would never do something so stupid, I-“_ Georgi kicked him in the gut. 

_”Shut the fuck up, rat, why are you lying to my brother? Do you want to make him angry?”_

_”No! Please, Mr. Popovich, I just-“_

_”Tell me,”_ Viktor spoke coolly, leaning over to look the man in the eye, _”The truth, please.”_

He said please like there was a choice, like he was asking nicely. The man broke down, saying a few prayers in German. Looking into Viktor’s eyes was what did it. Cold, emotionless, like he could see into your soul, like he knew all the answers already and he knew just to do. 

_”They were going to pay me,”_ he sniffed loudly, _”But I never got any money…”_

 _”Ah-Ha!”_ Viktor said cheerfully, _”Now we’re getting somewhere! And what did you tell them?”_

The man’s eyes were wide, like he was about to burst into another fit of hysterics, but he spoke again. 

_”Not a lot! Just about the next shipment coming in from America.”_

_”Just that, eh?”_ The blond smiled at the man, but it was nothing but a façade. _“Tell me, Mr. Fuchs, do you know how much money was put into that shipment?” He stepped into the man’s space even further, “Do you know how much money was going to be made off that shipment? Now, because of this fuck up we’re going to be set back hundreds of thousands, all because we have to change time and location. All our plans.”_

Georgi stood behind the man, gun still cocked and at the ready. Yakov looked exasperated, tired of the boys doing business in the family’s home. Viktor looked calm, collected, a polar opposite to what he was feeling on the inside. That was often what was scariest about Viktor, and made him the best candidate for the job of Pakhan, he had the best poker face. 

_”What the fuck were you thinking?”_ He spat in German, the final blow to the man’s withering composure. 

_”It doesn’t matter!”_ Alois yelled, _”They’ve all been talking about you, y’know, saying you’ve got a new toy, even brought him to the dinner with the other bosses!”_ with newfound confidence he leaned back against the barrel of the gun so he could look back into Viktor’s eyes, _”We’ve been fucked since the moment they let a faggot become Pakhan.”_

A large, pale hand hit the side of the man’s face, knocking him to the ground. Viktor gripped onto his hair as Georgi had earlier, picking the man up and tugging him roughly across the marble floor to the edge of the staircase. He slammed the man’s head against the metal bannister, making his body tense, then again, and again and again, till blood trickled down from an open wound on the front of his face and down onto the white stairs. 

But Viktor didn’t hold back, repeatedly _slamming_ the man full-force into the charcoal railing, continuing long after he’d gone limp. Blood and chunks of skull splattered over the bannister, across the front of Viktor’s jacket, down his arms, streaking his face and staining his pale hair and skin. 

One last time he brought the man’s head down, but there was not much left to hold on to. He let go, letting the lifeless corpse fall to the floor in the growing pool of blood and matter on the floor. He turned around, running a hand through his hair, ignoring the brain matter smearing into it and staining it further. Everybody remained stoic throughout the ordeal, conditioned to a life of violence that working for the Bratva entailed. 

Viktor sighed loudly, pointing to the men behind Georgi. 

“Clean this,” He pulled off his jacket and began unbuttoning his dress shirt so he could throw them in the wash, “Before Yuuri sees.” 

Without a word the men got to work, avoiding Viktor entirely. He took off his shoes, handing them along with his clothes to a man nearby. 

“Georgi, I’m using your shower.” He shuffled past everybody, making his way unsuccessfully around the pool of gore on the stairs and floor. 

Yakov shook his head suddenly with a click of his tongue. 

_“Vitya,”_ He motioned to the stairs, _“I just had them cleaned, I do wish you’d control yourself a little better.”_

Viktor’s brow furrowed, but he laughed and shook his head. 

“They can always be cleaned again.” 

He walked past the long corridor that lead down to his and Yuuri’s room, pausing for a moment. He smiled when he heard the chorus to _‘Traveling Riverside Blues’_ seeping through the door. Yuuri must be just getting ready for bed; hopefully he’d still be in the bath. 

Viktor moved to Georgi’s portion of the house, entering the bathroom slightly smaller than his own, uncaring of the large bloody handprints he left all over the door and handle. The maid would clean it later. 

He turned the water up as high as it would go, ignoring the burning sensation all over his body. He scrubbed hard, almost raw, pouring generous amounts of body wash into every crack and crevice; he’d make it up to Georgi later. When he got to his hair, he used quite a bit of shampoo in an attempt to bring out the last bright pink from his light hair, but it just didn’t seem to want to come out. 

His thoughts moved to Yuuri. What would he have thought if the boy had seen? What would he even do? The aftermath was one thing, but catching Viktor in the act was a whole different story. 

If he’d caught Yuuri? Things were different. Sweet little Yuuri, so innocent and troubled. Whenever the time comes where Yuuri feels a little dominant, he relishes in it, let’s the boy destroy him, make him come undone like nobody else had ever made him before. 

Just thinking about it now had Viktor’s cock twitch. Yuuri taking initiative, in front of dozens of people, maybe at their favourite place like the movie theatre or even at a restaurant. Sitting in his lap, kissing up his neck; leaving marks for everybody to see. 

He palmed his slowly swelling cock, grunting as the pink water ran down his shoulders to his thighs and down the drain. 

Viktor pictured it some more. Viktor kidnapped, maybe by a rival, but instead of his men Yuuri bursts in the door. 

The boy slits the throat of the man closest to the door. 

Viktor rubs the tip of his cock, thumbing the slit, and holding back a noise. 

Yuuri moves to the next, gutting him like a deer from groin to sternum, hands covered in blood and entrails. 

His hand wanders, down to the base of his cock and back up.

The room is clear, other than a few maimed who wouldn’t last much longer. Yuuri leans down, kissing a tied-up Viktor. He tastes blood, from his own mouth and from Yuuri’s lips, but it isn’t unpleasant. The smaller man doesn’t undo him, he keeps him tied up. 

He’s pumping in a steady rhythm now, unable to hold back a loud keen from the back of his throat. 

Yuuri’s riding him now, tight and hot around Viktor with no preparation or lube other than adrenaline, sweat, and blood. 

The Russian comes now, leaning back against the cold shower wall as his vision turns to white. He tenses, the water isn’t quite as hot as it was but the wall is still cold enough to bring him back to his senses. 

When his eyes open the water is running pretty much clear, but there’s still long ropes of white over his hand and on the shower drain, accompanied by some bits of matter and gunk that didn’t quite wash all the way down. 

He finishes promptly, wrapping a clean towel around his waist, and making his way to his bedroom. 

Yuuri is in bed facing the door when he walks in. He smiles at Viktor, but he can tell Yuuri isn’t with him a hundred percent. He’s a little distracted. 

“You took so long. Please come to bed, love.” 

After the hand-washing event a few weeks earlier, Yuuri had learned not to ask questions like ‘Why did you take a shower in another room?’ when Viktor came in, hair wet and a towel around his waist. Viktor appreciated it; he didn’t really feel like explaining the gruesome details of his day to the only pure thing left in his life, despite his impure thoughts about the boy earlier. 

He walked over to the bed, dropping the towel on the floor, and lifting the covers off so he could slide in behind Yuuri. He didn’t bother putting anything on, he much rather preferred going nude, and Yuuri hadn’t seemed to mind. He hugged him close, their bodies tightly sealed together, but he had no other intent but to fall asleep like this.

“Thank you for waiting,” 

“Couldn’t sleep without you.” Yuuri pushed back into him, trying to get even closer than they already, “You’ve ruined me.” 

“Well I’m very sorry,” Viktor chuckled, tickling the back of his ears, “But I promise to not keep you waiting any longer, my prince.” 

Viktor fell asleep fast, a long day having exhausted him, warm and content with Yuuri tucked against him. Yuuri struggled, though, as he did most nights. He felt comfort in Viktor’s arms, they felt secure and safe. 

But still his brain kept flashing images from earlier that night, on his way down to the kitchen when he’d heard yelling and he hid behind a railing. He didn’t know why he didn’t just run back up the stairs to their room, turn on the music like he normally would, but there was something different about Viktor. The way he moved, and spoke, and looked was completely different from the Viktor he knew and it was entrancing. 

The man spat something at Viktor in another language, and suddenly time slowed down. Viktor moving quickly, gore flying everywhere, over Viktor’s face and expensive clothes, onto the marble floors, onto Georgi’s gun and Yakov’s shoes. 

_’It’s all part of the deal.’_ He reminded himself, _‘He’d never do it to you, it’s just his job.’_

Viktor wiping blood from his face with the back of his hand. 

_’He’s a good man. He saved you.’_

Viktor laughing as he spoke to Yakov, standing in the pool of blood. 

_’It’s all part of the deal.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 0-100 REAL QUICK. It wasn't even that bad, but I felt like such a fucking dirty shit writing it. I need some hOLY WATER IN MY LIFE.


	6. Wish You Were Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Wish You Were Here' by Pink Floyd.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little less graphic than the last, but it's still pretty mature. 
> 
> Keep watch for subtle hints I left for upcoming chapters. I hope you enjoy it!

He was drowning, clawing at the sides of the tub and pushing up with all his strength against the hands holding him down. The water was murky, and burned as it entered his eyes and lungs. Somebody laughed above him, maybe the person who was holding him down, maybe another. It was like he was in a tunnel, the laughter getting further away, the water getting colder and colder, his body beginning to feel weightless-

“Yuuri,” 

He snapped back into reality, breathing heavily. His lungs burned as if the dream had been real, like he really had just inhaled a bunch of water. Viktor was above him, hovering, a look of concern in his eyes. He reached up and brushed the sweaty hair back from the boy’s forehead. 

“It was just a bad dream, Yuuri, it’s alright now.” 

The Russian kissed the tear tracks on his face, trying to ground the younger man, make him a bit more comfortable. But Yuuri didn’t calm, he still felt hands on his head and neck, other places too. Viktor began stroking his hair and kissing across his face as he came down, breath steadying, every pair of hands but one disappeared with every soft kiss and coo from the silver-haired man. 

“Everything’s fine, love. What the hell were you dreaming of that has you so shaken up?” 

Yuuri winces and closed his eyes again, trying to ground himself. There was a soft pillow behind his head, fresh air through the open window, soft duvet, Egyptian cotton sheets, Viktor’s naked side pushed up against him, Viktor’s hot breath on his face, not anybody else’s. 

He let out a sob and began clutching to Viktor, who didn’t say anything else. He returned the embrace, letting Yuuri cry into his shoulder. It seemed like he really needed just to be quiet right now, and let it out. 

Large hands ran up and down his back, rubbing soothing circles all across. Yuuri knew things were fine, that Viktor would never let anything like that happen to him ever again, but in this dream Viktor was there, and his family, and they were watching from the shadows, not saying or doing anything to intervene. It had been the worst dream he’d had in a while, and it would take him a while to get over. 

“It was just… bad memories.” He croaked, and Viktor tried to shush him but he kept going, “At the warehouse where they kept us before we were bought…” Yuuri sniffed and pushed his head further into Viktor’s pale shoulder, “I-I didn’t always comply, and they’d-“ 

His voice wavered and he broke down again, accidently digging his nails into Viktor’s sides, but he didn’t complain. Viktor let him, hoping it would be somewhat cathartic to let it out now. It hurt him to see Yuuri in pain, too, and it made him angry. He knew that to an extent _he’d_ done this to Yuuri. If it weren’t for his family’s involvement with the human trafficking ring he would have never gone to Alexei’s. 

But then again, he would have stayed at the warehouse. He would have been bought by somebody else not quite as kind as Viktor. Who knows what this person would have done to Yuuri, maybe things even worse than he’d already seen. 

Viktor wrapped his arms tighter around the sobbing boy in his arms, smiling now at the thought. He saved this boy. Yuuri was better off with him. He loved him. 

Yuuri loved him too. 

~~~

“How long should I wait before I take the soup of the stove?” 

“Till it’s simmering.” Lilia opened the pot and sniffed, “Not much longer.” She put the lid back on and handed the ladle to Yuuri, “I have to go grocery shopping, I’ll be back in two hours. Do not let the soup burn.” She left promptly. It was quite intimidating for Yuuri, he didn’t want to think about what would happen if he burnt the soup or did it wrong, so he kept a watchful eye over it. 

_“Lilia what’s-_ Oh.” Yakov paused when he saw just Yuuri in the kitchen, “Where is Lilia?” 

“S-She just ran to the store, she said she’s going to be a couple hours.” 

“Oh, alright.” He moved to leave but hesitated, then turned on his heels. “Say, Yuuri, does my nephew treat you well?” 

Yuuri’s mouth gapes, where was this coming from? 

“V-Very well.” He stuttered. 

“Good. He’s a good boy. Troubled at times, but he’s definitely a little softer now that you’re around, it’s a nice change from the boy who took my car for a joyride weekly and stole from his fathers supply on missions.” Yakov chuckled at the memory. 

“I’m glad, then.” Yuuri said with more confidence. Maybe Yakov was warming up to him now that he saw he wasn’t going anywhere, “I’m happy if he’s happy.” 

“Oh, he’s happy.” Yakov sat in the stool behind the island, watching Yuuri with a stoic gaze as he stirred the soup. “But this… thing you have together does not result in an acceptable Pakhan.” He dropped the ladle in the pot, turning to face the older man. 

“Sorry, what?” 

“His work is suffering. I can see it in meetings and at work, Viktor is distracted. He wants the job done quick so he can get home to see you.” The words were cold and Yuuri shouldn’t have felt the warmth blossom in his chest, “He’s becoming soft with you around. Wouldn’t you rather go home, Katsuki? I can send you home if that’s what you’d like.” 

Yuuri paused, brow furrowed and jaw set tight. 

“Three months ago I might have said yes.” He rested his back against the counter, “But I’ve come to realize I have no home, in America or Japan. I was hoping this could become like home to me, and it has.” Yakov’s expression was unchanging, “If you want me to leave you should talk with Viktor, Mr. Feltsman, I have no say in the matter.” The boy turned back around, stirring the soup again and turning off the burner as it began to simmer.

“Well,” Yakov cleared his throat as he got up from the stool, “If that’s how it has to be.” He left, leaving Yuuri alone in the kitchen with his thoughts. What was that supposed to mean? Would he really talk with Viktor? What would Viktor say? Surely he wouldn’t send Yuuri home, they’d built something nice over the past few months, and he wouldn’t give it up now just because Yakov told him to. Their relationship was obviously strained, and it wouldn’t get any better if Yakov asked Viktor to get rid of Yuuri _for the sake of the business._

He moved the pot to the back of the stove, leaving the lid on so it’d stay warm, and started slicing the beef that was in the fridge. Cooking became a nice distraction, and he was thankful Lilia had let him join, however incompetent she made him feel at the beginning. 

He heard the door open from the foyer, signalling that somebody was home, probably Georgi or Mila since they were schedules to come home any minute. 

But suddenly a tall, pale figure dressed in all black slid into the room, through the hallway and around the island, practically jumping on Yuuri. He tensed and struggled not to drop his knife, but he did and it clambered to the counter top. 

“Viktor!” He yelped, “I almost cut myself!” 

“Oh,” Viktor giggled, kissing behind Yuuri’s ear. “Sorry, love, I just missed you.” 

Yuuri squinted and turned in his grip. He pulled Viktor’s wrist up to his face to look at the time on his watch. 

“You’ve been gone for seven hours, Viktor. Why are you home so early?” He leaned up and kissed the man before turning back around to the cuts of meat, continuing what he had been up to before he’d been so rudely interrupted. 

“You wouldn’t believe it, Yuuri!” He kept his arms tight around the boy’s waist as he cut, “We had negotiations today with the Japanese, they were so cooperative for once.” Viktor nipped at Yuuri’s ear, making him tense again and swat at Viktor over his shoulder with a laugh, “We finished quickly, I barely even had to do any negotiating.” Yuuri finished slicing the meat and moved onto wash his hands, Viktor shuffling along behind him so they could stay attached.

“My people are very stubborn.” 

Viktor froze and squinted at Yuuri over his shoulder. 

“The Yakuza?” 

“No, you dork,” He hit him with a washcloth he’d been drying his hands with, “The Japanese.”

Viktor laughed and kissed his cheek sloppily. 

“I know, I know, I’m just teasing.” He had the goofiest grin on his face, a prime example of what Yakov had been talking about earlier. 

“Viktor Nikiforov, how many times have I told you you’re not allowed in my kitchen.” Lilia barked at him, holding a few bags of groceries, followed by a couple servants carrying the rest. 

“I just came to say hello to my beloved,” He swooned dramatically, “Do you need him any more, or can I steal him away?” 

She raised an eyebrow and handed her bags to a servant that began putting away the groceries. 

“Is the soup finished?” 

“Yes ma’am.” 

“And the meat is diced?” 

“Yes.” 

She sighed loudly, waving an arm. 

“Fine then, but I don’t want this to become a reoccurring thing.” She snapped at Viktor in particular, “You’re home early, I’m used to having him longer.” 

Yuuri couldn’t help but hold back a giggle because Viktor looked _genuinely scared._

“No promises, mama!” He grabbed Yuuri by the sleeve and pulled him through the hallway and to the stairs, leaning him against the bannister to give him a quick peck. 

Yuuri’s head was so close to the metal railing where Viktor had practically demolished a man not weeks before. No matter how many time’s he’d told himself to get over it, and to stop freezing every time he walked down the stairs in fear that Viktor would be doing it again, his brain kept flashing the images. Especially now that he had his hands against Viktor’s muscular chest, and his toned arms were wrapped around his body, once bloodstained lips pressed against his own, blond hair brushing against his face. Yuuri saw the power he possessed multiple times, what was stopping him from doing the same to the boy now? 

_’Stop.’_ Yuuri told himself, _’He loves you, he would never.’_ The boy let himself melt into the kiss, pushing the darker thoughts to the back of his mind. 

Suddenly Yakov cleared his throat from the bottom of the staircase, making Yuuri push back. 

“Not in the foyer, please.” 

Something flashed in Viktor’s eyes, but it was gone a second later. 

“Of course.” He picked Yuuri up bridle style, making him yelp and clutch to Viktor’s neck. The Russian just laughed and kissed him again, making his way back up the stairs to their bedroom.

Yuuri giggled as he fell back on the bed, letting Viktor straddle him and lean down for a deep kiss. 

It heated up quickly, Viktor the one to initiate it. He braced down on Yuuri, careful not hurt him, but grinding his groin into the boy’s lap, trying to show his interest. 

Yuuri cooperated happily, arching into him, desperate for friction between them. 

The Russian smiled against his plump lips, leaning back to tear off his dress shirt. He moved to Yuuri, helping him up so that he could tear his shirt over his head. 

Viktor moved back down like he was going to kiss the boy again, but he paused. Bringing a hand up to Yuuri’s tanned face and cradling it, thumb brushing the corner of his mouth. 

“God, I love you.” 

Affectionate terms like ‘love’ and ‘light of my life’ had been tossed around a lot, but never had they ever confessed like this to each other.

Yuuri leaned into the touch, bringing his own hand up to catch Viktor’s large hand. 

“I love you too.” 

~~~

He was alone in the kitchen chopping onions when it happened. 

Where was Lilia? He couldn’t remember, but it didn’t matter. 

There were two entrances to the kitchen. One directly from the front foyer, leading you to the other side of the island, and another hallway that lead to the dining room, which was connected to the front foyer. The house was dead quiet, nobody was home, the adults out to work and Yuri at fencing practice, so it was unusually so. 

The large oak doors that were so loud opened slowly, alerting Yuuri of the presence of somebody. It couldn’t have been the wind, they were too heavy and the security system would have been triggered. According to the clock above the stove, it was 4:38, a little early for anybody to be coming home, but he thought nothing of it. Whoever came in probably didn’t want Yuuri to come out to greet them, for some reason or another that Yuuri felt he really didn’t need to know.

That was until he heard soft footsteps coming from the hallway from the dining room behind him, and he saw a tall flash of black. 

“Viktor, what are-“ 

He was just about to turn around when a cloth came over his mouth and large arms wrapped around his waist, tight and bruising. An overwhelming scent flooded his lungs. It burned, he felt like he was drowning again. He gripped the knife tight, trying to hit his attacker despite the difficult angle, but the assailant smacked his hand, making him drop the knife. He struggled further as the person pulled him back, dragging him back down the hallway, but he soon went limp as everything turned to black. 

When he woke, his lungs still stung and his throat was coated in the disgusting smell of chemicals. He opened his eyes, the room around him was dingy and moist, he was sitting over some sort of drain in the concrete and he had zap-straps and duct tape around his wrists and ankles. They were tight, bruising for sure, and they stung like hell as he shifted to sit up. 

“H-Hello?” He called out, but it came out as more of a whisper since his throat felt like it was on fire. 

His vision adjusted to the darkness somewhat more and he could see that there was a man in front of the door. He was clad in all black, similarly to Viktor’s men, but Yuuri didn’t recognize him. 

“Where am I?” 

The man stayed silent, eyes never moving from a spot on the wall. 

**“Who are you?”** He yelled at the man, but again he stayed silent. Minutes flew by, maybe an hour, Yuuri couldn’t really tell. He’d adjusted himself and scooted over to the far wall so he could lean against it. His muscles ached with strain and exhaustion despite having been lying down. The boy had multiple panic episodes in the frame of an hour. Going from silent to lashing out at the man till he lost his breath and his head hurt, but still the man stood, unmoving. 

The door opened and multiple men in suits stepped in, crowding the space around Yuuri. One stepped right up, leaning down so their noses were almost touching. His breath stank, and his dark facial hair was course and thin just to look at. The tips of his hair were frosted. If it were any other situation Yuuri might have laughed, he looked like he belonged in a boy band. 

“Are you Yuuri Katsuki?” American, Yuuri thought. 

“Who’s asking?” 

The man slapped him, bringing his face back up to face him. 

“Answer the goddamn question.” 

“What do you want with me?” Yuuri asked, and the man frowned. 

“Are you or are you not Yuuri Katsuki? It’s not that difficult.”

“Yes, now I’m asking you, what do you want with me?” 

“Listen here, you little shit.” The man gripped his face tight, “I’ve got a lot riding on this, so I’ll make it short and sweet.” He leaned in further, “Viktor Nikiforov owes my boss big time, and an inside source tells us that you make him… a little softer, easily flexible.” 

Yuuri’s heart dropped to his stomach at the mention of Viktor’s name. He was finally involved in business. They were using him as a _negotiation tactic._

“I’m nothing to him, I just work for him.” The boy tried to keep calm, “I-I don’t know where you’re getting this from because-“ 

“A very, very reliable source.” The man stood, walking towards the door, “Mr. Nikiforov hasn’t been taking our offers very seriously. Could you imagine? Out of the blue the best negotiator in the business starts _rushing_ our meetings. He’s more stubborn, he’ll take his way or the highway, no if, ands, or buts. Imagine what that’s doing to our business.” He shook his head and turned to one of the suited men, “Call the boss and tell him we have ‘em. Somebody get a hold of Nikiforov, please.” 

“Very well, sir.” The men stepped out, leaving Yuuri by himself. 

He was reeling. Viktor was unstable now, because of him, and it was about to get worse. He hoped Viktor would think this through, that he wouldn’t do anything rash and dumb and get himself hurt, or killed, but knowing Viktor the moment he heard Yuuri was gone he’d lost it. 

Yuuri began sobbing. Who could have done this to Viktor? Who hated Yuuri enough they’d do something like this? He thought he’d been accepted, finally, and it tugged at his gut to even think about one of them betraying his trust. 

He fell to the floor, bones cold and aching, and cried into it. His bound limbs stopped him from pushing himself back up, but he was straining to even move and doubted he’d be able to get up on his own. Yuuri just lied there, listening to the sounds of trickling water and slamming doors. There was a window at the top of the room, telling him they were somewhat underground. As the sunlight filtered through it turned the dark room a subtle shade of orange, but it had a metal grate over it, limiting the amount of sunshine that entered.

Where was Viktor now? Did he know? Yuuri didn’t even know what time it was, but it looked to still be somewhat light outside, so probably just a few hours had past. The man would be home from work for sure, and there would be no dinner on the table, and Yuuri would be gone. Would he think Yuuri left him? How would he act if that were the case? 

The door swung open again, and somebody walked in. Yuuri didn’t bother looking, but the person walked up to him anyway, laying a hand out like he was going to touch him.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” 

The voice was soft, a little higher than Yuuri’s own. He stayed quiet but he looked up to see the face of the boy who had entered the room. He’d been in here earlier, and looked to be around Yuuri’s age, with longer brown hair tied back in a messy ponytail. From the light he could see his skin was tan, with dark eyes and eyebrows. 

Yuuri shook his head slowly, untrusting of his voice. 

“Could you stand on your own?” 

He shook his head again. 

“I’ll help you up. Your boss is here, he wants to see you.” 

Yuuri tensed; did he mean Viktor? The boy cut the duct tape around his legs with a pocketknife and gripped onto the zap-straps and pulled him to his feet slowly. Yuuri slouched over, feeling rather stiff and tired, but the boy led him to the door and out. 

“He’s not my boss…” Yuuri muttered as the boy prodded him forward so he’d shuffle through the long, dank corridor. 

“Then why didn’t you just say that?” He frowned at Yuuri, “Is he family? I saw him on my way to get you he’s… calm, but I find it hard to believe you mean nothing to him if he’s gone through all the trouble of getting here.” 

Yuuri’s stomach did flips and he felt like he was about to vomit. Viktor should know better. He shouldn’t have shown up like that. He should be at home, they should negotiate over the phone if there was any negotiating done at all. 

To Yuuri, he wasn’t worth the trouble. 

The boy pulled him into another room, dimly lit with a desk in the centre and chairs on either side. Men surrounded the room, but only two sat at the desk.

“Thank you, Leo.” The man with frosted tips was sitting in the chair furthest from the door, “Hold him up, I don’t want him squirming and causing more trouble.”

Yuuri knew it was Viktor in the chair in front of him, strategically placed so that he couldn’t see Yuuri when he walked in. His hands were folded in his lap, ash blond hair looking combed and neat, jacket pressed perfectly. He had his right leg across his left, sitting tall and composed. 

He never once turned around to look at Yuuri, so Yuuri stayed quiet, holding back the urge to call out to him.

“He better not be hurt.” Viktor’s voice was steel, “I paid good money for that whore, I don’t want his good looks to be soiled.” 

The American’s eyes shot from Viktor to Yuuri, then back. 

“Let’s get down to brass tax, Nikiforov, I’m here to talk.” He leaned back in his seat, “How much are you willing to pay for him?” 

Viktor laughed, slapping his knee and throwing his head back. 

“Donnie, I’m not about to sell my soul for one of Alexei’s whores. What are you asking?” 

_’It’s just an act.’_ Yuuri reminded himself, trying to keep his composure.

“Cut the shit.” Donnie slammed his hand down on the table, “I want the east district back. New York, Maine, all of it.” 

“Is that so?” Viktor scoffed, “You are a real dreamer, Donnie, it’s always a treat speaking with you.” 

“Fine.” Donnie grinned like a chesire cat, rolling his sleeves up and revealing multiple dark tattoos up his forearms. “Let me rethink my decision, I’ll just try the whore out myself and see how much he’s worth.” He stood from the table and walked towards the boy. Yuuri panicked, trying to wriggle out of Leo’s grip.

But Viktor pushed his chair back and stood, catching Donnie by the shoulder, making all of the men reach for the guns in their holsters. 

“If you lay a finger on him I will destroy every good thing in your life, I promise.” 

Even from the limited light in the room, Yuuri could see everything change in Viktor’s demeanour. His muscles flexed under the jacket and his eyes were dark and unforgiving, sending a message to the other man that said _’I keep my promises, do not take another step.’_

Donnie raised his arms and stepped backwards out of Viktor’s grip. He waved his arms and chuckled, getting his men to stand down.

“Now we’re talking, Viktor,” He sat back down in the seat, but Viktor didn’t. The Russian stood his ground, back straight, muscles flexed like a tiger getting ready to pounce. 

“Who told you?” He spat through his teeth. 

“Think long and hard,” Donnie smiled at him. 

Viktor thought back. Who could have done this? Yuuri didn’t do anything but try and be helpful. He was the kindest most selfless person Viktor knew, helping servants and staff despite not knowing them, trying to get Viktor to focus on himself when he just wanted to spoil Yuuri rotten. He never interfered with work, never got involved-

But Viktor’s mind ran back to their last meeting with the Americans at this exact same location, just at Valentines day; Viktor in the chair, Yakov right behind him. 

_“There’s absolutely no way.”_

_“And why is that?”_

_“Are you kidding me?” Viktor scoffed, “Do you know how much money runs through New York? Like you have enough.”_

_“Vitya,” Yakov interrupted, “It’s a serious offer, let him-“_

_“No, this is ridiculous.” Viktor stood from the table, “Get your head out of your ass next time you decide to get me to come all the way out to Sochi. I have more important matters. It's Valentine's day and instead of being in bed with my love I'm here dealing with children.”_

_Yakov started to say something but stopped and followed Viktor out the door._

_“What was that, Viktor?”_

_“They’re a joke.” Viktor laughed, “I’m not trading %5 of my income for territory that barely makes a fifth of that.”_

_“But the relations it would-“_

_“Yakov,” Viktor interrupted, “Our allies are strong, we do not need any more. Let’s get home.”_

It was _fucking Yakov._

“My uncle then?” 

Donnie grinned and nodded. 

“Figures,” He looked down at the table, “He’s not too fond of my Yuuri.” 

_’What the fuck are you doing, Viktor!’_ Yuuri shouted in his brain. 

“So is that a deal?” 

Viktor paused, a finger on his lips. 

“Let me see him.” 

“Of course,” He motioned for Leo to bring him forward. Viktor stood, turning to meet Yuuri, eyes flashing like he was in pain.

“Untie him.” Viktor commanded Leo, but the boy hesitated. “Cut the fucking ties off him, boy.” His voice was loud and booming, startling Yuuri too. 

Leo quickly cut off the zap-straps, and Yuuri fell into Viktor’s arms. He gripped onto him like a lifeline, untrusting of his own legs to keep him up. Viktor immediately softened at the contact, lifting Yuuri up slightly. 

“Did they hurt you? Are you alright?” He whispered to the boy, and Yuuri nodded frantically. 

“I’m fine, just-“ He breathed in Viktor’s scent, soothing his burning throat. “Don’t do anything stupid, I’m not worth this. Think of your family first-“ 

“Yuuri, shut the fuck up.” He kissed him, quick and sloppy, bringing him back close to his chest. 

“This is real sweet and all, but I’m here to do business, not watch you queers make out like newlyweds.”

He turned with the boy in his arms, “I’ve gotten what I wanted, I’ll be leaving.” 

“I don’t think so,” Donnie stood fast, leaning across the table. Multiple men moved to the door, shielding it in case Viktor tried to leave. “You can take your chink whore when I get my side of the bargain.” 

Viktor’s arms tightened around him. 

“He’s Japanese, you swine.” He spat at him, “We’re leaving. Goodbye, Donatello, don’t expect any more business from us.” He turned towards the door, but the men lifted their guns. 

Yuuri tensed, expecting a fight. He’d never fought anybody in his entire life, what was going to happen? 

Suddenly bullets rained through the air around him deafening, through the door and from the roof. He buried his face further into Viktor’s chest. 

This was how he’d die. This was it for him and Viktor. 

But, the noise stopped, everything was dead silent, and he was still standing, as was Viktor. He tried pulling away.

“Don’t.” Viktor wrapped his arm tighter around Yuuri, “Keep your eyes shut, please.” 

He knew why, of course. There were bodies all around them. The American men were dead, all of them, but he was confused as to who it was. Both of Viktor’s arms had been tightly wrapped around him. 

“I’m going to pick you up now, alright?”

Yuuri nodded into his chest, keeping his eyes closed as Viktor stepped back to pick him up bridal-style. Linking his arms tight around Viktor’s neck, he heard more voices coming close. He tensed, but when he heard Russian it all left his body. He swayed melodically in Viktor’s arms as he walked, almost nodding off right there as they left the compound. 

There was a big van outside, Georgi in the front seat. Through Yuuri’s half-asleep state he could hear Mila’s voice from the passenger’s seat, and another voice that he didn’t recognize. 

Viktor kept him in his lap the whole ride home, saying soothing Russian words into his ears and brushing his fingers through his hair. He didn’t wake up until Viktor woke him, picking him up so they could walk back to the house. 

When they entered, Yuuri had woken up a bit more, shifting a bit in Viktor’s arms. Everybody was quiet as they entered the house, like they knew something Yuuri didn’t. 

“Beka!” Yuri called, rushing down the stairs. Yuuri blinked, looking around. The other person in the car must have been Otabek. “What are you doing here?” He stopped when he saw the look on everybody’s face, and the black bruises across Yuuri’s wrists, neck, and face. 

“Where’s Yakov?” 

_’Holy fuck.’_ Yuuri’s brain was screaming. He’d never seen Viktor so calm. 

“H-He’s in his study…” Yuri mumbled, and Viktor just nodded. 

“Can somebody take Yuuri to our room?” 

“I will.” Otabek took Yuuri from Viktor’s arms, “Yura, show me where it is.” It was intentional. Otabek knew what was going on, it was family business he wasn’t involved in, and Yuri didn’t need to see that. 

Yuri led the way, Otabek carrying Yuuri up quickly whilst trying not to jar him. They made it eventually, the Kazakh boy letting Yuuri down gently into the king sized bed, where he sat up against the headboard. 

“Do you want us to stay?” Yuri asked him, face showing concern for the first time since Yuuri met him. 

“Please.” Yuuri pleaded, and the younger boys sat on the bed too, leaning against the wall. 

They were quiet, but it was comforting to Yuuri. Minutes passed, and Yuri stood. 

“You have blood on your face, Beka.” He moved to the bathroom and came back with a washcloth, cleaning the older boy’s face gently. Yuuri just watched, Yuri’s face soft as he dabbed the blood from the Kazakh teen’s face, unchanging as tears began spilling down his face. 

“Yakov did it, didn’t he?” 

Otabek nodded, but stayed silent, face stoic. The tears flowed freely down his face now. 

“Viktor’s going to kill my father.” 

He collapsed against the older boy, letting him hold him in his arms. He didn’t weep or sob, but the tears flowed. Yuuri knew it too, Viktor wouldn’t hesitate even if it was family. It almost scared him, the idea of Viktor caring for him that much. The effect he had on Viktor was almost supernatural, like something possessed him. 

It made Yuuri feel powerful now, despite how powerless he’d felt a few hours earlier. 

Suddenly there was a loud bang from downstairs, making both the Yuri’s jump. Yuuri stood up, moving to the record player and sorting through the different records. He set it up, putting the needle down and turning up the volume all the way, then turned around to join the boys on the bed again. The quiet guitar filled the room, enough to block out any noise from below. 

Otabek lied back, stretching across the bed. Yuri followed, lying his head on Otabek’s chest.

 _’So, so you think you can tell, heaven from hell,”_

Yuuri relaxed himself, lying back on the bed. 

_’Blue skies from pain,_

It was funny. He was hanging out with people his own age, laying on his bed listening to music he loved, like you would if you were a normal teen. 

_’Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?’_

It was not loud enough. All of the servants had long since returned to their homes, and the banging and slamming echoed through the entire mansion. 

_’A smile from a veil?’_

There was yelling now, cursing and growling in Russian. There was a loud crash, and a bang, begging and pleading in Russian, then silence. 

_’Do you think you can tell,’_

Yuri let out a sob, hiding his face in Otabek’s chest.

_’Did they get you to trade,’_

_‘Your heroes for ghosts?’_

Yuuri couldn’t help but hold back a smile. There had been multiple occasions where Viktor and him had made love to this song. It was one of Viktor’s favourite albums.

_’Hot ashes for trees for trees?’_

The house was completely silent now, save for the sweet melodic voice of David Gilmour. 

_’Hot air for the cool breeze?’_

Downstairs, Viktor was kneeling over Yakov’s lifeless body, stab wounds leaking red onto the carpet below his knees and staining his pants.

_’Cold comfort for change_

He cried into his blood soaked hands, violent sobs wracking his body. 

_’And did you exchange a walk on part in the war’_

_‘For the lead role in a cage?’_

“Vitya,” Mila, who was standing back a bit, stepped forward almost laying a hand on his shoulder. “I think that’s enough, we should phone the guys to come-“ 

“Just let me!” He yelled, leaning over the body and resting his forehead against his uncle’s paling one. _“Just let me have this,”_ He whispered, tears dripping onto the older man’s face and mixing with his blood that had smeared across his face from Viktor’s hands. 

_’How I wish, how I wish you were here.’_

**“How could you do this?”** Georgi and Mila flinched as he screamed. _”Bratik, sestrichka, leave us, please.”_

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Vitya, it’s like when Papa-“ 

**“Leave!”** He turned to face Georgi, **“Get out!”**

_’We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl,’_

_‘Year after year.’_

They quickly left him by himself. 

Viktor may have been crying, but the whole situation was funny to him. It just seemed like a matter of time before Yakov would do something like this. He’d never understand what love was. He’d have never understood the love him and Yuuri shared. It was stronger than family could ever be, stronger than the brotherhood and their business. 

_’Runnin’ over the same old ground,’_

This was good. 

He leaned back, taking a deep breath, ignoring the blood seeping into the knees of his pants and smeared across his face. Just like his father, his uncle couldn’t hold Viktor back anymore. Nothing was stopping him from running the business how he wanted. He knew he could be the best Pakhan Russia had ever seen.

_’What have we found?’_

_’The same old fears.’_

He’d do it with Yuuri. Yuuri made him feel unstoppable. They could take on the world together, no doubt about it. 

Viktor couldn’t help but feel this would bring him and Yuuri closer together. 

_’Wish you were here.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, sorry not sorry. 
> 
> Bratik is Russian for 'brother', and Sestrichka is sister.


	7. How Soon Is Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'How Soon Is Now' by The Smiths.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more of a filler, but it makes some important points and is important (*cough* and indulgent *cough*) to the plot. It's basically smut and lots of backstory. Always remember to watch for hints in the story, I might spoil a bit for what's to come!
> 
> Please enjoy~

“Yakov Feltsman was a family man. Some may say old-fashioned, others would say passionate, devoted, and caring. We will miss him dearly, god rest his soul.” 

The eulogist finished, stepping down from his podium. Sniffs were heard throughout the room, family and friends who just _couldn’t believe he was gone._ Even Lilia, who had despised the man for years, shed a few tears for the man, dabbing them away and trying not to smudge her makeup. 

As for the rest of the front row, there were no tears to be seen. Georgi and Mila sat stoic, unmoving and emotionless. Yuri beside them, brow set low, staring at the ground. Viktor was at the end, arm around Yuuri, leaning back in the pew with his legs crossed quite casually. His black sunglasses set high on his face, mouth set in a thin line. Yuuri didn’t know what to do with himself, wringing his hands and tapping his fingers on his thighs until Viktor reached over and grabbed his hands to stop him from fidgeting. 

The front row sat still as everybody from the back of the room filed to the front of the room, dropping in flowers and staring into the open casket like they were making sure he was _really_ dead. It seemed kind of macabre to Yuuri; he couldn’t even look at the headstone at his parents’ funeral, let alone looking at their bodies. 

There was a photo of Yakov above the casket, set high above the pews on a stand made of metal. It was older, maybe from the late 80’s or early 90’s. He was a bit younger, holding a pint with his right arm holding somebody not in shot, and his left around the waist of a much younger woman (whom Yuuri learned later was Yuri’s late mother). It made Yuuri’s heart twang with sympathy; they were all orphans now. 

The room cleared and close family walked up to say their goodbyes, dropping in flowers and possessions for him to be buried with. Viktor was last, staring into the casket. He took off his glasses and pulled a single blue rose from his breast pocket, tucking it into Yakov’s. 

“ _Dasvidanya,_ old man.” His eyes were a bit glossy but he didn’t cry. Pushing his glasses back on, he wrapped his arm around Yuuri’s waist, leading him out of the church. 

“I’m so sorry, Viktor.” Chris had been waiting for him outside of the door, dressed up in a completely black suit save for a white undershirt. “It must be tough on Yuri.” They all looked to said boy, who was leaning against one of the vans they came in, eyes void of any emotion. 

“Yuri will manage.” His arm tightened a bit around Yuuri, “He’s strong, and he has a lot of people who love him.” 

“I hope so.” Chris patted Viktor’s shoulder. “I think Carlisle was looking for you, you should go find her. I think she’s with Georgi.” Viktor nodded and stepped away.

“Stay here, alright love?” Yuuri nodded, and shrunk into himself as Viktor walked away, leaving him with Chris. 

“How are you doing, Yuuri?” Yuuri almost expected him to move closer, to touch him like he had at the dinner party, but he did nothing except rest his hand on his shoulder. 

“I’m fine, just worried about Viktor.” 

“Me too.” They both watched as Viktor strode up to his half-brother and an older Latino woman dabbing her face with a handkerchief. “He was the same when his father passed. Quiet, he didn’t cry at all.” Chris sighed deeply, “Please keep an eye on him, Yuuri. I won’t be there for him this time like I was last time.” 

“I will.” He assured the older man, “I’ll try, I mean. I don’t know if I know how to handle this sort of thing.” 

“He’ll listen to you.” The Swiss man bit his lip and turned his attention back to Yuuri, “Has he told you much about his past?” Yuuri thought about it, and he realized he knew next to nothing about Viktor. He knew Viktor’s favourite food, favourite album, how he took his coffee, all of his family’s names, but he didn’t know anything about the man’s past. He shook his head, frowning a bit. 

“There has been a few times, like after his mother and father passed, or the few times where his father beat him,” he looked solemn at the memory, “He just spiralled out of control. I was living with him at the time, we went to boarding school together and I spent the summers at his house because our families were close and my parents were on business a lot, you know how it is.” Viktor laid a hand on the woman’s shoulder and leaned in, she began sobbing uncontrollably. “Then in college smoking pot at parties turned into lines of coke in the bathroom, sneaking into clubs and buying a couple drinks turned into benders where we didn’t hear from him for days and I had to trace his phone to find him passed out in a ditch nursing a bottle of Grey Goose.” They watched Viktor pull a carton of cigarettes from his pocket and put it in his mouth, tapping Georgi on the shoulder and asking for a light. 

“Don’t let it come to that again. He’s too much like his father that way,” Chris patted his shoulder, “He doesn’t know what to do with his emotions.” He walked away just as Viktor began making his way back like he hadn’t just burdened Yuuri with this information. 

He was glad to know, really. It made Viktor feel human, like he really did feel emotions like everybody else did. Yuuri worried though if he could handle that. He’d had his own struggles with drugs and alcohol, and it was hard enough to get through himself, but could he really help somebody else with issues like _that?_

“Would you like to leave? I don’t really need to stick around.” He took a long drag of his cigarette and blew it out.

“Shouldn’t you stay? I’m sure you haven’t seen your family for a long time.” Viktor just shook his head. 

“This is Yakov’s family. You, Georgi, Mila, Lilia, and Yuri are the only family I have left.” It should have been a sad moment, but Viktor didn’t really sound upset about it. He wrapped Yuuri up in an arm again, holding him close to his side and shielding him from the chilly April air that made Yuuri’s glasses feel stuck to his face. He kissed the top of his head and they made their way over to the BMW that they’d come in. 

Yuri was already inside, snug against the far door of the van, staring at his feet. 

“Hey, Yura, how’re you doing?”

He didn’t reply, just opened the door and got out, slamming it shut. They watched him move from the first van to the one that Georgi and Mila had come in, paying them absolutely no mind. 

“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Yuuri asked, taking the cigarette from Viktor’s hand and taking a drag before passing it back.  
“He’s done this before.” He took one last drag to the filter of the cigarette, throwing the butt on the ground and snuffing it out. “He’ll get over it.” 

Yuuri desperately hoped he was right, but was that realistic? It had been three years and he still wasn’t completely over his parents’ death. Everybody experienced these things differently, but Yuri was young. He was likely to bottle it up forever until it became too much. He’d also never experienced anything like this before. Viktor had told Yuuri that Yuri’s mother died during childbirth, Yakov was all he’d ever had. 

Viktor let him into the car and followed in after, telling the driver to take them back to the house. He pulled the carton back out of his pocket, reaching into the front of the car between the seats and pulling out the cigarette lighter out of the front console, lighting his cigarette before pushing it back in and settling back against Yuuri again, kissing his temple. 

That was his second cigarette in the last fifteen minutes, but he didn’t say anything about it, and when Viktor cracked a window and offered it to him he just took another short drag, pushing it back into Viktor’s mouth. The Russian smiled back at him, squeezing with the arm around his shoulders. Thinking back to what Chris had said to him earlier, if cigarettes were the worst of it he thought he could manage.

He was quiet the whole ride home, so Yuuri was too. He had no idea what was going through the older man’s head, but he thought back to when Viktor had a rough day of business or when he and Yuri got in an argument. He’ll just treat it like that; like he’s having a bad week. 

When they got home, Yuuri suggested they go upstairs and go to bed or relax, but Viktor insisted he had work to catch up with, so Yuuri should just go on ahead without him.

“I can’t sleep without you anyway,” Yuuri blushed a bit, “I’ll go make dinner.” He kissed Yuuri before entering Yakov’s old office. Yuuri heated them up some leftover soup on the stove, adding some salt before pouring it into some bowls. 

He was just about to push the door to Yakov’s office open, but he hesitated, realizing he’d never been in this room before. He knocked softly, entering after Viktor called him in. 

It was large and smelt of cigar smoke, with a big wooden desk in the back of the room. There were big bookcases against all of the walls, and the only window was transparent stained glass of some sort of biblical scene with Jesus overlooking the forest beside the house and the window. Viktor was leant back in the seat behind the desk, cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth as he looked through some paper work. He looked up from them and set them down when he saw Yuuri, pulling the cigarette out and tapping it in the ashtray on the corner of the desk.

“I warmed up the soup from yesterday, is that okay?”

“That sounds wonderful,” He smiled, an invitation for Yuuri to bring it over. The boy placed it in front of him then turned on his heels to leave, but Viktor caught his arm.

“Sit with me?” He nodded, settling into the seat on the other side of the desk. He took his glasses off so they wouldn’t get steamy when he ate the soup, and dug in.

“It’s always so much better the next day.” Viktor groaned, “I love your soup so much.” 

“I’m glad,” Yuuri chuckled, “Although, I know that by now, you do ask for it every time I ask what you want for dinner.” 

“You should take it as a compliment!” He pointed his spoon at him accusingly, “It makes Lilia’s soup seem like it came from the soup kitchen, and that’s saying something.” They ate quietly for a few minutes, but Yuuri’s mind was reeling. He had things to say to Viktor, but he didn’t want him to be angry or do anything rash. The black-haired boy could see the large bleached patch on the carpet beside the desk and it just kept reminding him of what Viktor was capable of, and what he often did. Would he get offended if Yuuri confronted him about something so personal?

They finished their soup and Yuuri cleaned up the bowls and put his glasses back on, just about to leave with them before he turned around. 

“I spoke to Chris a little today,” Viktor just hummed in acknowledgement, “He told me some things.” 

Viktor paused as he was about to pick up the paperwork again. 

“Like what?” 

“Just that he’s worried about you, and that I should keep an eye on you.” Viktor screwed up his face and laughed worriedly. 

“Why would he say that?” Yuuri frowned as he leaned over the desk; the man obviously didn’t want him knowing about his past. 

“Viktor, he told me about your ways of coping.” He reached across the table and held Viktor’s hand, “It worried me, too. Please tell me if you’re struggling.” 

The blond man looked a little overwhelmed, but his face became gentle and he relaxed, turning his hand upside down so he could grab Yuuri’s hand.

“I don’t want you to see that part of me.” He frowned, “I slept around, I drank, I overdosed twice in a month, and I felt like I had nobody but Chris. I have you now, though, it will never happen again.” 

“But am I enough?” Yuuri’s voice was just above a whisper. Viktor looked like he was about to cry, picking up Yuuri’s hand and pulling it to his lips. 

“Come here, love.” Yuuri stood; leaving the bowls of soup on the chair he’d sat, walking around the table to meet Viktor on the other side, still in his chair. The boy dipped down to catch Viktor’s lips, and the man brought his hands up to remove his glasses and put them in the desk, then brought them back to frame Yuuri’s face and pull him down on his lap. Yuuri melted into him, straddling his hips in the limited space they had in the armchair. 

He gripped Viktor’s tie, pulling him closer. The man made a keening noise, sliding his hands down Yuuri’s sides down to his ass and squeezing. Yuuri whined, pushing back into it and sliding a hand down the taller man’s chest to his waist and began un-tucking his shirt from his pants. He needed to feel Viktor’s skin, feel close to him, and show him that he could take care of him too. 

Yuuri shifted, pushing his ass against Viktor’s lap and grinding agonizingly slow. Viktor growled, wrapping his arms around Yuuri’s thighs and picking him up to rest him on the desk. They kept kissing, licking hot into each other’s mouths. Despite having just eaten Viktor tasted like tobacco, strong and overwhelming, making Yuuri desperate for more. He pulled Viktor down with him as he laid back against the desk. His hands wound their way into Viktor’s hair, and the man’s hands wandered under his shirt, hands cold and shocking to his senses. 

Viktor reached up and tweaked the boy’s nipple between his forefingers, making Yuuri whine into his mouth. He smiled, doing it again until Yuuri was panting, head back against the desk. He leaned back and ripped Yuuri’s shirt off him, buttons flying all over the floor around him. 

“V-Viktor!” 

“I can buy you a new one, shush.” Viktor leaned back in, capturing Yuuri’s mouth and letting him undo his tie, pulling it around his neck and throwing it on the floor, then moving to the man’s dress jacket and dress shirt. 

Both shirtless, their kisses slowed, and eventually Yuuri stood, pushing Viktor back into the chair with a foot. 

He straddled him again, kiss-swollen lips latching onto his long, pale neck, marking down to his wide shoulders. Viktor looked like he’d gained muscle since he first saw him shirtless, and wondered why that was. 

Viktor groaned loudly as he scuffed his teeth against his throat lightly, nipping and biting at it just like the man liked. Yuuri had come to know Viktor’s body quite well, finding out his body reacted well when things got a bit rough or painful. 

The blond tried to pull Yuuri up again back to his mouth, but Yuuri shook his head, sliding down the chair between Viktor’s legs until he was between them. He breathed hot over Viktor’s groin, making his cock twitch in his trousers.

“Ohh, love, the things you do to me.” He slipped his hand into Yuuri’s hair but didn’t try to move him. Yuuri took this as a good sign, reaching up and unbuckling Viktor’s belt and the button on his jeans. He lapped at Viktor’s member straining the fabric of his underwear, feeling it swell even further. 

“Please baby,” Viktor _whined,_ “ _Please,_ help me feel good.” 

“Tell me what you want, daddy.” Yuuri leant his head on Viktor’s thigh, looking up at him with innocent eyes. “I don’t know unless you tell me.” 

“Suck me, please.” His voice was breathy and desperate, and Yuuri felt his own cock jump at the sound. 

He reached into the man’s trousers, pulling out his cock, and pressing a sloppy kiss to the tip. A large hand tightened in his hair, the other gripped the side of the chair tight. He kissed down the shaft, on each side, then up the bottom before he got back to the top. Having had enough teasing, Yuuri popped the tip in his mouth, lathering it with his tongue in circular motions and flicking the slit. 

_“Yebat’,”_ His knuckles on the chair turned white on the chair, obviously holding back from pushing up into the hot heat of the Japanese boy’s mouth and pushing it down with his hand, so Yuuri gave him what he wanted. He took the whole thing slowly, all the way down to the base, before quickly pulling back to the tip, almost coming completely off. 

He repeated a few times, Viktor’s thighs clenching around his shoulders, and on the sixth time he could tell Viktor was completely hard, achingly so. His thighs snapped shut, and his face was contorted. 

“Stop, love,” He begged him, “I wanted to come inside you.” 

“Whatever you’d like.” Yuuri stood and started unbuckling his own belt and pulling his pants and underwear down completely. He pulled his belt out of the loops, and reached down to grab Viktor’s hands.

“What are you doing?” He breathed low, an eyebrow raised. 

“You’ll see.” 

Yuuri got back into the chair, still holding Viktor’s hands, and placed them on his lap, urging him to massage him through his pants. Viktor didn’t hesitate to do so, and Yuuri caught his lips again in an attempt to distract the man from his ministrations. 

He froze when the belt looped around his wrists a few times, tightening and clipping into place. Yuuri must have sensed his distress because he stepped off, but not before kissing him quickly on the forehead, resting his own against the spot afterwards. 

“You trust me, right?” 

“With my life,” He huffed out. 

“Then let me take care of you. Sit on the desk.” 

Viktor didn’t hesitate, standing on shaking legs and sitting on the desk. Yuuri slipped between Viktor’s bound arms and climbed onto it as well, knees framing his hips. 

“Watch me, and don’t look away.” 

Viktor nodded and Yuuri brought his fingers up to the blonde’s mouth, urging him to suck. He lathered them thoroughly, looking the younger boy right in the eye as he did so.

Yuuri brought the hand below him, slipping a slicked finger in to the knuckle. Spit didn’t make for great lube, so there was a little more tug than there usually was, but he liked it. He slipped it the rest of the way, grunting from the feeling of the stretch and because of the feeling of Viktor’s eyes gaping at him in this vulnerable state.

But Viktor was the vulnerable one now. Yuuri could do anything to him and he wouldn’t be able to stop him. He was strong, but definitely not strong enough to rip through the thick, leather belt looped around his wrists. 

He slipped a second finger in with a loud groan, and it effected Viktor greatly. He felt the older man’s cock jump between them, and he wriggled under Yuuri, uncomfortably hard.

It wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be to slip in another, spit and bodily fluids seeping onto Viktor’s expensive black pants below him. Viktor didn’t seem to mind, though, biting his lip as he stared down at Yuuri rocking back on his own fingers, holding him up on the desk with his bound hands. 

Without warning, Yuuri pulled out, leaned up, and dropped down onto Viktor’s cock slow and steady. The blond jumped, Yuuri’s tight heat overwhelming him immensely. He tried to move up, but his hands were behind Yuuri’s back and he couldn’t really from this angle. 

Yuuri soothed him with a kiss, then rose on his knees slowly, and back down. 

“Does that feel good, daddy?” 

Viktor nodded, biting his lip. 

“It feels good when your baby takes care of you?” 

“It feels better than anything, jesus, fuck-“ Yuuri picked up the pace, interrupting him. 

It felt good to be dominated like this. It was all he’d ever dreamed of. He thought back to the night when he was in the shower, and he dreamt of being tied up, captured by enemies, Yuuri riding him like he was just now. 

But they weren’t in some warehouse, they were at home, on his late uncle’s desk, and they were both safe and happy and that was all Viktor had ever wanted. 

The Russian growled low in his chest, and tensed, coming fast and hard. His vision blanked just as Yuuri threw his head back with a gasp, tightening around him and milking him for all he had. 

Their foreheads rested against each other, sharing each other’s breath. The pungent smell of cigars from before had been replaced with the smell of sweat and sex, and the quiet of the empty house was filled with their heavy breath. 

“Love of my life,” Viktor whispered, kissing Yuuri’s swollen lips again. “What did I ever do to deserve you?” 

Yuuri grinned cheekily, “I don’t know but it must’ve been pretty amazing.” 

They sat like that for a few minutes, coming down from their high, Yuuri still seated firmly with Viktor inside of him. 

As they kissed, neither of them heard the front door open, or the footsteps clicking down the hall. There was no knock at the door, no warning at all as it swung open, making Yuuri jump and cling to Viktor, eyes wide as he peered over the older man's shoulder. 

_“I’m rather disappointed that I wasn’t invited to Yakov’s funeral. In fact, I wasn’t even notified of his death until this morning.”_

The woman was of average height and build, looking just a few years older than Viktor, except her hair was a light shade of auburn. Her makeup was dark and exaggerated, eyebrows coming together as she glared at Viktor. 

_“I’m rather disappointed in you, Vitya.”_

Viktor didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

 

**~Extra~**

 

 _“Mama, please-“_

_“No, no, Mila, I insist. Look at how skinny you are, when was the last time you ate a proper meal?”_

Lilia ground her teeth, sitting back in the island stool and glaring at the woman raiding her kitchen. 

_”I can assure you she eats more than her fair share, Yana.”_

The woman just ignored Lilia, pulling out ingredients from the pantry with a disgusted look on her face, and throwing them back in. 

_”Mother, please, wouldn’t you rather sit down and just chat-“_

Yana pulled some sausage links out of the fridge and pointed them at her daughter. 

_”There will be plenty of time for catching up over borscht. Where do you keep the spices?”_

Mila groaned loudly as Yuri walked into the room, oblivious of the woman on the other side of the room. 

“Who pissed in your corn flakes, hag?” 

_”Georgi!”_ the woman wrapped her arms around Yuri’s neck, _“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you last! Though, I thought you would have been taller by now.”_

 _”Actually,”_ Yuri ripped her arm from his neck, _“I’m Yuri, Yakov and Maria’s son, not Lev’s.”_

 _”Lev never told me Yakov had a son!”_ she crossed her arms, staring down at Yuri, ignorant to the fact that Yuri was like a bomb with a sensitive fuse. 

_”You kind of miss these things when you’re using my father’s money to go on a decade-long vacation.”_ Viktor spat under his breath, one hand on Yuuri’s back, trying to soothe the boy who was completely oblivious to the conversation going on. 

“I can’t believe it happened again.” He groaned into his hands, “What are we doing wrong?” 

“Not locking any doors, primarily.” Viktor smiled at him, “Maybe we should get a dog.”

Yuuri was just about to give Viktor his two cents when Yana dropped her cutting board on the island in front of them and began chopping vegetables. 

_”You never introduced us, Viktor, how rude. I’m Yana, Viktor’s mother.”_

Yuuri shook his head. 

“I-I don’t- Viktor, what did she say?” 

_”He doesn’t speak Russian well.”_ She continued to stare at Yuuri, _”And you’re not my mother.”_

_”Oh, Vitya, not this again.”_

_”You’re seven years older than me, and you were married to my father for two years, you’re not my mother.”_

“… What is going on?” 

_“Oh, please, Viktor, I took better care of you than your mother ever did, from the stories Lev told me-“_

_”Shut your whoring mouth, hag, before I shut it for you!”_ Viktor stood from the island stool, knocking it back a foot. 

_”Vitya, please.”_ Lilia snapped at him, _“Let’s not do anything rash.”_

He squinted at her, but nodded and pulled the chair back in, grabbing Yuuri’s hand as he sat. 

“Uhh, Yuuri,” He motioned for Mila’s mother, “This is Yana Babicheva; Mila’s mother.” 

“Oh…” Was all Yuuri said, turning a bright shade of crimson when he made the connection that _Viktor’s step mom had just seen them fucking._

The room was quiet but tense; nobody dared speak or make noise, apart from Yana chopping potatoes in the kitchen. Viktor breathed out trying to steady himself, already stressed from everything else that was going on, and now Yana was here. It really seemed like the universe was against him right now. 

_”That’s no way to speak to your mother, Vitya.”_

**”That’s it!”** Viktor stood and pushed the stool back again, but this time Yuuri caught him. 

“We should go to bed, Viktor, I’m really tired.” 

Yuuri looked up at him through his eyelashes, and all Viktor could do was nod and follow him down the hallway and up the stairs. 

_”What’s he so upset about?”_

_”Mother.”_

_”I take care of that boy for two years while his father’s off picking fights with everybody on god’s green earth,”_

_”Mother!”_

_”And what do I get? Spite. I didn’t even get mad at the fact that his little toy is a boy, I mean I knew he was troubled but I never thought it would be this bad-“_

**”Yana.”** Mila said, interrupting the woman, _”Why are you here?”_

She stiffened, dropping the knife onto the counter. 

_”I heard about Viktor and what he’s been up to.”_ she shook her head disapprovingly, _”I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but I knew Yakov was desperate when he contacted me asking for my advice about what to do with him.”_

Lilia’s eyes widened and she pushed herself away from the counter. She really didn’t need to hear any more. 

_”Viktor isn’t fit to be Pakhan, I think we need a change around here.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Yebat' is Russian for Fuck.
> 
> Yana 'boutta catch Viktor's hands. This chapter is slightly less fucked, but it's the calm before the storm, things'll get worse. There are more characters to be introduced soon, I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'm loving writing it!
> 
> Also lmao Jesus literally watched over them as they fucked, choice.


	8. Big Empty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Big Empty' by Stone Temple Pilots.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit short but it's kind of important. The next chapter will be much longer, and will fill in a lot of blanks for those who are wondering, so I wanted to get this posted quickly so that you had something to read and dwell on while I worked on it! 
> 
> Also, I'm not sorry about this. 
> 
> Feel free to yell at me.

The chair squeaked loudly under Viktor’s weight as he leant forwards, leaning his head on his hand with a finger to his lips. 

“I don’t know what Yana told you,” He began, “But it’s not true. I’m perfectly fine, and business is better than ever.” 

“For how long?” The man in the seat directly in front of Viktor shook his head, “She told us about recent events; about Yakov and… your taking of risks.” 

“Emil,” Viktor groaned loudly, “Those are personal matters that don’t affect work. You don’t see me complaining every time Ji and his men lay their lives on the line for the Americans, do you?”

“This is different.” The woman to his right started, “The relationship between the Chinese and the Americans is strong, they rely on each other for protection, it’s good for business. I heard you went _by yourself_ to the American’s base in Sochi to retrieve a whore! Is a whore really worth dying and setting the network ablaze in Chaos, Viktor?” 

“Minako, please, I think that’s exaggerating a little-“ 

“No, Viktor, it’s not.” Emil sighed loudly, “I’ve spoken to the Giacometti’s, they said you know what you’re doing, but I’m still not sure.”

“This should have been discussed with us,” A woman stood from the back of the room, “If he was really that important you should have bargained, or got us to help bargain, then you wouldn’t have fifty dead Americans and the Chinese biting at your heels!” 

“Sara is right,” Emil shook his head, “This affects all of us, Viktor, did you not think we wouldn’t find out?” 

Viktor was silent, staring down at the pen on his desk, thinking about what to say next. 

Suddenly, the door to the office pushed open, and Yuuri stepped in, but he quickly tried stepping back out. 

“Sorry! Sorry- I didn’t- I’ll go.” 

“Please, Yuuri,” Viktor called to him, making him pause. “Come here.” He motioned for Yuuri to come behind the desk. The boy hesitated, but he quickly made his way over to Viktor, who reached over and sat him on his lap. 

_’What the hell is going on?’_

“He shouldn’t be here.” Minako growled at Viktor, staring at the man in his lap. 

“Anything you have to say can be said around him, Yuuri’s the one you’re all so angry about. He was there, he knows.” 

Sara looked like she was ready to throttle Viktor, knuckles turning white on the back of Emil’s chair. 

“We just want you to be more careful,” Emil said distractedly, “Please remember that what you do effects all of us.” 

Minako was the scariest of all. Yuuri hid his face in Viktor’s neck but he could still feel her staring daggers into his soul. He sensed the aura when he walked in, tense and foreboding; he should have known it was about him. 

“The whore is Japanese…” she said under her breath, “Is this some kind of sick joke, Nikiforov? Where did you get him, from my ring in Tokyo? What game are you playing at?” 

She obviously thought Viktor was using him as some sort of intimidation tactic, and it seemed to be working. 

“Careful now, Minako.” He grinned at her, “Originally he was from one of my houses in America, but he just so happens to be Japanese. Does that bother you?” 

She stood quickly from her chair, knocking it over. 

**”We just want what’s best for the business, Viktor, I don’t think this joke is very funny!”**

“Minako,” Emil snapped, “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for all of this, I-“ He sighed deeply, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. “Viktor, why did you let the whore interfere with business?” 

“He isn’t a whore.” Viktor started, “And he’s not interfering with business. It was my uncle who was meddling, not my Yuuri; he’d never.” Minako didn’t relax at all, “But he’s not here anymore to get in my way, so I don’t know why you’re so hasty to blame somebody who is innocent.” Viktor ran his hand up Yuuri’s thigh soothingly, trying to calm his nerves. He could feel that the boy was tense in his arms. A large hand ran up, a little higher than usual, and squeezed; Yuuri got the hint. 

_’He wants me to show them.’_

Yuuri tried to forget everybody else in the room, focusing solely on Viktor. He kissed his jaw, tuning out the other people in the room, moving slowly down till he reached the curve of his ear. He kissed the lobe and down, tugging at it slightly, making the hands on his legs clench.

“We’ll be staying in Moscow for the next few weeks,” Sara stared anywhere but Yuuri sucking marks onto the Russian’s neck, “Lee is flying out tomorrow and my brother arrives on Thursday. We should speak again when we’re all together.” She stepped back, running a hand through her hair, the other on her hip. “Where’s your sister? I need a drink.” 

“Mila’s in the kitchen with Yana, please go speak with them.” He stretched his neck up, letting Yuuri continue his musings. Sara left to find Mila, not bothering to shut the door. “If that woman says one more word to me I’m going to lose my shit.”

“You’ve already lost it.” Minako walked around the fallen chair and left the room, slamming the door closed behind her. 

“Viktor,” Emil groaned inwardly, “You should know better. You know we’re not trying to cause trouble!” 

“I know,” Viktor’s breath caught as Yuuri nipped at his throat, “But our family is closer and stronger than ever. This will never happen again, I can assure you.”

“I hope you’re right.” Emil stood with a sigh and left the room, leaving Viktor and Yuuri. 

The boy pulled away from Viktor, face flushed in embarrassment. 

“Sorry, love.” Viktor leaned in and kissed him, gripping his chin lightly. “They’ll get over it soon, I’m sure.” 

He leaned into Viktor’s touch, letting the man return the favour. 

“I hope so.” 

~~~

“What’s the food like in Japan?” 

“Lots of salt.” Yuuri laughed, trying to remember the meals his mother fed him so long ago. 

“I mean, I’ve had sushi in America, but Viktor told me it’s not like _actual_ Japanese food.” Yuri didn’t look up from his homework, continuing to scribble down notes with his pen.

“No, not at all.” He liked that Yuri was finally talking again. These past few days he’d been more like himself, probably relieved Yana had left and was staying in a hotel rather than bombarding him with affection. “If you go to the right place it could be just like authentic Japanese food. When we were in America Viktor bought me my favourite dish, and it was perfect. I hadn’t had it in years.” 

“What’s your favourite?” Yuuri’s face lit up. 

“It’s called katsudon. It’s like, deep-fried pork and egg, on rice and vegetables.” 

“That sounds disgustingly good.” Yuri dropped his pen and leaned closer over the island counter. “Do you think you could make me katsudon one day?” 

“I’d love to.” Yuuri smiled at him, then got back to chopping the asparagus, “Now, what’s your favourite?” 

“Piroshky,” Yuri groaned dramatically, grabbing his stomach. “When we have big events, my uncle Nikolai comes over and makes piroshky for everybody.” He reached over and grabbed a piece of asparagus off the plate, popping it in his mouth. “Do you think that maybe we could make katsudon piroshky one day?”

“I don’t know how great it would turn out, but sure.” He laughed, dropping the asparagus into a pan. “Maybe we’ll ask Lilia to help, she probably would be better at making it than I am.” 

Yuri nodded in agreement as his phone began vibrating wildly, stepping off the stool and pushing it into the counter. 

“I’ll be back, it’s Beka.” 

He excused himself, leaving Yuuri in the kitchen alone. He stirred the vegetables in the pan, throwing in some salt and spices. Yuri’s voice got further and further away until it disappeared, right as the front doors open, signalling Viktor coming home. 

“I’m in the kitchen, babe.” He called, but Viktor probably already knew. He was trying to help out as much as he could now in Yakov’s absence and Yana's arrival, as Lilia had been in charge of the servants. 

He didn’t bother turning as Viktor entered the room, immediately moving to Yuuri and sealing their bodies tight together. The taller man loomed over his shoulders, suddenly sucking down on the back of the boy’s neck, working down to his shoulder. 

“Love, no.” He scolded, “I’m not finished, and Yuri’s going to walk in here any minute.” 

But Viktor persisted, pulling Yuuri’s shirt down a bit for better access. He bit down and ground his groin against Yuuri’s, pinning him against the counter, making him drop the wooden spoon into the pan. 

“Ow, Viktor, stop.” 

“No, Yuuri, it’s fine.” 

“Viktor, I’m not in the mood, can you just-“ He lifted his arm to push Viktor back with his elbow, but the man was incredibly strong, gripping his wrist tight and slamming it back against the counter. “Viktor, what the fuck-“ 

The older man spun him around so he could kiss him hot on the mouth; his teeth coming into play immediately. Yuuri pushed against his chest, but Viktor puffed it out, digging the small of the boy’s back into the countertop. 

Yuuri managed to push him back, saliva and a bit of blood dripping down his chin. “Viktor, what are you-“ He looked up at the man, his hair was slightly dishevelled and his eyes were incredibly dark; it all clicked into place. “Viktor, you need to stop right now, you’re loaded. You’ll regret it-“ 

“No, please, baby, I need you right now.“ He moved in but Yuuri put his hands up to his chiselled chest to push him back. 

“Viktor, I’m serious! Your pupils are the size of olives, you’re not fine- Did… Did you get your ears pierced?” 

“Yuuri, why are you being difficult? Do you not love me anymore?” 

“Go to bed, please,” he struggled against him, “We’ll talk more in the morning.” 

“Oh, my Yuuri,” he spun the boy around and leant him over the marble countertops, “Please let me make it up to you.” He ground slow against him, and Yuuri could feel he was already hard. 

“Fuck- Viktor!” He wriggled, making Viktor grip his hands and pin them above his head. What the fuck was happening? Is this what Chris had been talking about? He thought he was ready in case it did, but he wasn’t ready for this. Yuuri was still growing, around 5’7” and in his lanky teenage boy phase, but Viktor had finished growing for a while, and easily outweighed him by at least fifty pounds; there was no way he’d get him off. 

Suddenly there was a loud bang and Viktor was a few feet away, leant over clutching his head tightly.

“Ow.” 

“He said stop, Viktor!” Yuri was standing over him, gripping his textbook with white knuckles. Viktor shook his head, standing over Yuri. Suddenly he gripped the knife Yuuri had been chopping vegetables with, and lunge at the boy. 

“You little shit-“ 

“Vicchan, no!” Yuuri jumped in front of him, one hand out behind him to hold Yuri back, the other forward pointing at Viktor, “You need to calm down! You’re not thinking.” The words were calm and composed, but Yuuri was feeling anything but. This was the man who saved him from himself, who promised him safety and comfort always, and suddenly he was threatening him, looming over him like a wild animal. 

Viktor staggered back a few steps, letting the knife slip through his fingers and clamber to floor. 

“Y-You’re right, Yuuri.” He shook his head, “I’m not… I can’t, just-“ Viktor was practically vibrating, face tense and posture hunched. “I’ll go- I’m gonna go.” 

He left hastily, slamming the large oak doors behind him. Yuri huffed a breath, leaning against the island behind him. Yuuri shrunk back, falling against the cabinets below the cupboard, tears rushing down his face. Gripping his hair tight to hold back the noises of his sobs. 

“He’s probably going to Chris’.” Yuri picked up the knife and put it in the sink, “I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” 

Then Yuri left. How was he not supposed to worry? This was the man who’d told him everything would be fine, and he was falling apart and didn’t know what do about it. He didn’t stand until he heard the doors open again, signalling that people were starting to come home. Yuuri stood on shaky legs and made his way to the stairs, climbing slowly until he got to their shared bedroom. 

He locked the door behind him and made his way over to the bed. It smelt like Viktor, musky and sweet with a hint of tobacco. There were things all over the room that reminded him of Viktor, how sweet and kind he could be, how cultured he was. There were also things that reminded him of who Viktor was, what he did, like the extra thigh holster hanging off the back of the bathroom door, or the bullet proof vest hanging up in their shared closet. 

Yuuri began crying again, clutching tightly to the soft sheets around him and pulling them into his face. He knew he wouldn’t be falling asleep any time soon with Viktor not there, but maybe his scent would be the next best thing. 

_”Please come home soon…”_ Yuuri whispered under his breath, _”I know it wasn’t really you…”_

~~~

Yuuri had long since stopped crying, red marks on his cheeks the only sign that he ever had, when there was a knock at the door. 

“Yuuri…” Was all Viktor said; he didn’t even try the door handle, he knew it was locked. Yuuri didn’t say anything either, just stared at the dark wooden door.

“I know it’s probably my fault,” Yuuri spoke to him, “I know that it’s your way of coping with things but I told you!” He sounded a bit mad and it made Viktor flinch away from the door, “I said come to me when things got bad! I didn’t want it to come to this!” 

“I’m in the wrong, it was my fault.” Viktor tried to reassure him, “I’m sorry, Yuuri, I promise I’ll come to you next time, I-“ 

“Next time,” Yuuri laughed, “Next time you’re fucking bombed or when you’re sad?” 

“It’s not- It’s not like that, Yuuri, you know I’d never-“ 

“But you did!” He yelled, throwing a pillow at the door, “You did, Viktor, and you almost hurt me! You almost hurt Yuri!” The tears spilt over again, “How would you ever forgive yourself if you had done anything?” 

“I wouldn’t have!” He yelled back, “I’d have never forgiven myself! I should have known better but- Michele just came into town and he wanted me to-“ He sighed, letting his head fall forward against the door, “There is no excuse. I’ve betrayed your trust, and I will never, ever forgive myself for it.” Yuuri sat up in bed, pulling the covers up to his chin. “Yuuri, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You make everything better, and I’m a stupid fucking idiot to not take advantage of that. I took you for granted, but I feel selfish laying my problems on you.” 

Sometime during his ramble, Yuuri had stood from the bed and came to the door, forehead pressed against it. 

“I asked you to because I care about you. I’d rather you sit me down and tell me all the gory details than keep it bottled up until it’s too much.”

“I know…” 

Yuuri sighed, gripping the door handle tight. 

“How was Chris?” 

“How did you know I was at Chris’?” 

“Yuri told me.” 

“Figures,” Viktor chuckled lightly, “He’s good. Told me I was a stupid fuck for doing that to you.” 

“Chris is right.” Yuuri laughed, meaning it but still teasing. 

“Hey!” Viktor laughed back, “He sat me down and we talked. He said it was obvious you cared for me and that I should talk to you more. Chris is good with people; he always knows what I need. I’m good at scaring people, not making them feel better.” He closed his eyes, waiting for a response, but Yuuri didn’t reply, he just unlocked the door. Viktor pushed it open, pulling the smaller boy into his arms right away. 

“I’ll tell you how I’m feeling. I don’t like keeping secrets from you.” 

Yuuri nodded. 

“You tell me things, too. Tell me what you want- What do you need from me, Yuuri?” 

“Just hold me right now, I want to go to bed.” 

“I don’t mean right now,” He kissed his temple, “There’s always time for that, I mean overall, what you’ve wanted but could never have?” 

Yuuri paused, thinking about what he was going to say before he opened his mouth. 

“I want to finish school, Viktor.” The Russian looked surprised. He’d been expecting _’A car.’_ or _’A vacation.’,_ but never that. 

“Why? You don’t have to work, I have more than enough-“ 

“I don’t have to, but I **_want_** to.” He smiled up at the blond, “I had a lot of opportunities stolen from me. I want to feel like I’ve accomplished something.” 

Viktor just nodded, wrapping him back up in his arms. 

“If that’s what you need, I’d be happy to give it to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What the hell does that mean? Will Viktor and Yuuri get a dog? Will Yana stop being such a salty binch? Will they fuck in front of the Jesus window again? Stay tuned!


	9. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' by The Beatles, but the end of the fic does contain 'You Make Me Feel So Young' by Frank Sinatra.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's a bit of a longer one. You could skip it if you really felt like it, but it's Viktor's backstory, and it's quite important to the plot. It was super fun to write as well (super hard in other parts, too, I don't like hurting my baby Viten'ka) and I thought you guys would probably think it was equally as hilarious and ridiculous as it was tragic. There's no Yuuri in this chapter, and it contains heavy amounts of (*non-romantic) Chris and Viktor. You've been warned, I don't want complaints.
> 
> I'd just like to point out that this Chapter could be potentially more disturbing than last, for various reasons. It starts off pretty heavy, stays that way, and then at the end Viktor's a lil' goofy and it's funny, so he makes up for it.

_“Lev don’t you dare!”_

_“Or what, Tatiana, you’ll leave? Do it. See if I follow. I’m not falling for your tricks again.”_

Tiptoeing around had become a talent of Viktor’s. Living with a father like Lev had taught him certain things, and conditioned him in ways a nurturing home never could. The door creaked a bit when he accidently fell into it, but it didn’t seem to be loud enough to catch his parents’ attention, so he stayed, peering through the thin crack. 

His father was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning over the bedside table, credit card in hand. Viktor had seen it before, seen it on his face and the remnants on the table in his office, and he knew what it was. It was different seeing it happen, his father leaning in, inhaling deep and low, flinching slightly, then turning back to his wife. 

_”I’ve had about enough of your shit, so stop lying.”_

_”Well can you blame me?”_ she motioned to the lines on the table, _“It’s becoming excessive; we’re not teenagers anymore!”_

Lev stood from the bed, slapping Tatiana hard across the face, sending her back onto the floor with her long hair covering her eyes. Viktor slapped a hand over his mouth to stop from calling out to her to see if she was okay.

_”Damn right, we’re not teenagers anymore! We’re married, we have a son, so what’s your excuse for whoring around? Can’t be any more valid than my reason for doping up every night.”_

The tall man turned back around, leaning back over the table for another line. 

_”Fuck you, Lev.”_ she spat, clutching her face. _”You used to be the love of my life.”_

_”You used to be mine, too, until you got a stick up your ass that wasn’t mine.”_

She stood quickly, ripping off her ring and throwing it at the wall behind him. The large white diamond dented the wall, then clambered down between it and the headboard. The woman sniffed, hands clenched tight at her sides, and tried storming off towards the door. 

They’d know he was watching. Lev was going to beat him again. Viktor’s mind was screaming now.

 _’Move!’_

Her hand was on the handle now. 

_’He’ll beat you too, turn around and run!’_

But the door never opened. Tatiana’s head snapped back quick and she let out a shriek, but Lev didn’t let go. He dragged her back towards the bed, hand wound tight in her bleach-blond locks. 

**_”Where the hell do you think you’re going?”_ **

_”I’m sorry,”_ She cried, _”I’m sorry, Lev- Please, I’m just emotional!”_

His arm wrapped around her neck tight, and for a split second Viktor thought their eyes connected, blue meeting green, equally as wide and fearful. 

Suddenly there was a loud _crack,_ and she stopped struggling against the man. Lev’s arms unwound themselves from around her neck and she slumped to the floor, eyes open wide staring right at Viktor. 

“Tatiana?” 

There was no response. 

_”Tatiana, get up.”_

Viktor’s eyes began burning, both hands clamped tight over his mouth to muffle his whimpers. 

**_”Tatiana, get the fuck up!”_ **

He kicked her in the stomach, but nothing happened. Viktor knew right then she was dead. Viktor was seven years old when he watched his mother die at the hands of his father. He was seven years old when he came to realize how much power his father possessed, how a simple snap of his fingers could turn Viktor’s whole world upside down. 

Lev dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks but Viktor couldn’t feel an ounce of sympathy for him because _why._ He was the one who did this! He was the one who stole Viktor’s mother from him, Viktor was the one who should be upset. 

He fought the urge to run to her, cradled limp in her husband’s arms. He didn’t deserve to cry over her, to hold her so tenderly like that, as if he regretted his decisions. Viktor watched for a while, his father brushing her hair back from her eyes. From the angle he was sitting Viktor could see his mother’s name printed in Cyrillic across the back of his father’s neck, almost hidden under his overgrown ash blond curls. He’d had it since they were young, he’d heard the story many times, it was one of the first Lev ever received. 

Now his body was riddled with them. Dark tribal marks and different pictures of weapons and stars of an array of sizes to create sleeves that started at his knuckles and ran up his shoulders all the way to his neck. 

These tattoos were some of the only things that set him and his father apart in appearance. He had his mother’s straight hair, and dazzling smile, but everything else was Lev. Their hair and eyes were the same colour; his grandmother had told him he looked just like Lev when he was his age, but he swore he’d never become his father. 

He’d change. He’d be different. When it was his turn to become Pakhan he’d do business fair and right. He’d treat his wife and kids with respect. Viktor was going to change the game without anybody’s help. 

If he’d known then what he knew now he’d have realized this wasn’t completely true, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. 

~~~

Yakov had just brought Viktor home from skating practice when he first met Georgi. He’d barely even stepped through the door when his father came around, corralling him over to the living room. 

_“Viktor, this is your new brother, Georgi. He’ll be eight this year, so it’s time he came to school with you. He’ll be staying with us for a while.”_

Viktor stared down at the boy. He was skinny like a twig, with dark hair and dark eyes. Shy, but he put his hand out for Viktor to shake like an adult would. 

_“I-It’s nice to meet you. I’ve never had a brother before.”_

The older boy glared down at his hand in disgust, turning on his heels and walking back towards his room. 

_“You still don’t.”_

Lev caught him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close to his face. 

_“Listen here, you little shit-“_ There was vodka on his breath, hot and disgusting and invading Viktor’s nostrils, _“I owe his mother some favours, so you better get along or these next few years are going to be a **real** shit show for you, understand me?”_

Viktor nodded, letting Lev spin him back around to face the younger boy, and Viktor couldn’t help but feel _jealous._ How come this son, born from an affair, was lucky enough to look nothing like his father. Who in the universe hated Viktor? What had he done to deserve this?

“It’s nice to meet you, Georgi.” He plastered on a fake smile, “I hope you like it here.” 

Little did he know, this would be the first of many new faces invited into his home.

~~~

“H-Holy fuck, Chris- Shit!” 

“Viktor be quiet!” The taller boy brought his free hand up to Viktor’s mouth, gripping tightly to his other leg as he pounded up into him. No doubt Viktor would have carpet burns, but he liked the thought. He wanted to think of Chris when he sat down, lied down, stood; when he looked at the milky expanse of his back in the mirror and saw red and purple streaks from pleasure. 

Viktor just wanted to feel. 

Chris cared about him. Sure, it wasn’t love, but if this was the next best thing he’d take it. 

He whimpered softly, relishing in the deep burn setting down his upper back, up his spine, in his back end like Chris was splitting him in half.

The silver-haired boy called out again as the Swiss boy hit his prostate directly, long messy bun slowly coming unravelled every time it caught on the shag carpet below him until his hair was splayed out around his head like a halo. 

“Shhh- Viktor! Your dad’s gonna hear us!” 

“We’re going back to school in a week anyway,” He breathed out, “He’s not even home.” 

Viktor lifted his arms above his head, gripping the carpet tight so he could push up into Chris, burying him deeper inside him and gripping tighter to his thighs. He needed this; one last good fuck in his own bedroom before he and Chris were in a dorm with different roommates since they were two years apart. Who knew when they’d have their next chance?

Chris’ thrusts became more sporadic, and suddenly he was lifting Viktor’s hips higher before he came, breathing heavy. He moved to pull out but the boy beneath him at other ideas, gripping tightly at his hips. 

“Oh no you don’t!” He pushed his friend onto his back, clambering over him so he was on his knees. He rocked back and forth, up and down on Chris’ spent cock whilst jacking himself off until he was coming over the Swiss’ tanned chest. 

“Fuck, Viktor,” Chris winced as Viktor slid off him and pulled his boxers back up his legs, “Where the hell did that come from?” 

“I’m a little pent up.” He moved to the bed to grab his jean jacket, slipping it on over his naked shoulders and pulling out a carton of cigarettes. Chris didn’t putting anything back on other than his underwear, using his shirt to clean his chest.

“I spent the whole summer here, and you’re still pent up?” He reached out, signalling he wanted one too. “I can’t imagine how you feel when you’re at school.” Viktor laughed, passing Chris the stick and pulling out a box of matches. 

“What can I say, a girl has needs.” He lit his own cigarette first then leant into Chris’ space, letting the embers at the end of his fag light the other. 

Of course this was the moment Yana entered the room. 

She sputtered loudly, looking back and fourth between Chris and Viktor in their semi-naked state, then to the empty condom wrappers lying on the ground beside them. 

“Ahh, _shit.”_ Viktor groaned around his cigarette, clambering over Chris’ lap to pull the duvet off the bed to cover them up. 

_“What- Did you just- Is that a cigarette in your mouth?”_

_“You smoked when you were my age, Yana, don’t act so innocent.”_ He whipped out his wallet from his jacket pocket, _“How much to have you not tell Lev?”_

_”What if Mila walked in on you, Viktor, this is serious!”_

_”I know, that’s why I’m trying to give you money! Please don’t tell him…”_ He flinched, rubbing the back of his neck. _“Mom.”_ He held out a few bills. 

Yana looked conflicted for a second, but then a grin slowly crept across her face. 

_“Of course, dear.”_ she practically skipped over to him, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek as she slipped the Rubles from his fingers. “Don’t let me catch you again.” 

The door slammed shut behind her, and Chris let out his breath like he had been holding it. 

“Shit, that was close!” He dropped onto his back, face hidden behind his hands. Viktor let himself fall back too, shoulder brushing the other boy’s, long blond hair over cascading down his chest. 

“Just a few more years, Chris.” Viktor closed his eyes and thought of somewhere else, “A little bit longer and it’ll be over.” 

They’d sat for only a few moments more before getting up and fully dressing so they could move to the entertainment room. Chris’ parents sent him a box of his stuff at the beginning of the summer, mostly books and clothes, but when they got to the bottom and found his old gaming console, they were ecstatic. Other than fucking, all they’d done was play video games. 

When his father came home, he didn’t say anything to his son, as usual. Lev walked past the living room and went straight to his office across the hall, shutting the door behind him. Viktor barely acknowledged him at all at this point, neither did Lev to be honest. The last two years one of his men had picked Viktor and Chris up from the airport when Summer vacation started, but things weren’t much different before that. Ever since Mila and Georgi came into the picture Viktor was expected to be a good leader, but he felt more like a shadow than anything. 

Suddenly there was a soft knock from the other side of the room, and Viktor turned to lock eyes with Yana who was standing in front of the door to Lev’s office, a look of pity in her eyes. 

_’Please.’_ He mouthed to her.

 _’I’m sorry.’_ She mouthed back. 

_”Come in.”_ Lev called out, but Viktor didn’t hear it. He watched his stepmother slip into the room, shutting the door softly behind her. 

“Chris, get up, we have to go.” 

“What?” Chris startled as Viktor grabbed his arm, trying to get him to stand, “Why? What’s wrong?” 

“Come on, Chris, let’s go!” He tugged him through the living room, gripping the boy’s shirt tight as he sprinted up the stairs. 

The Swiss boy tried not to stumble as he was practically carried up the winding staircase by the younger boy and down the hall to his room. Viktor slammed the door shut and locked it behind them, rushing to his bed and pulling out a duffel bag full of clothes. 

“Viktor! What are you-“ 

“Yana is telling him! Yana is telling him right now, Chris, please! Pack your stuff, we have to go!” 

Chris’ eye’s widened but he nodded and quickly dashed to his bed on the other side of the room to his backpack, putting in a few items of clothes. He’d only managed to get one sleeve of his jacket on before Viktor was shoving his other arm in, gripping him by the collar of his shirt and pulling him out the door to the bedroom again. He skipped steps as bounded down, simultaneously pulling on his shoes but not bothering to tie them. Chris did the same, stumbling behind him but keeping up. 

They’d almost made it, Chris swinging large oak doors and slipping out ahead of Viktor, but they weren’t fast enough. 

There was a hand in Viktor’s hair, jerking him back off his feet until his head hit the floor. His vision went hazy for a second, and he was still seeing stars when crystal blue eyes came into focus. 

_“Not in my fucking house.”_

Chris called out to him but Lev slammed the door in his face, locking it. His hand found Viktor’s ponytail again, dragging him across the polished marble floors to the dining room. The teen raised his arms, gripping tightly to his father’s shirt in an attempt to lessen the burning on his scalp but it barely helped. Short nails were digging into the back of his head, worsening as he thrashed around, punching and kicking and screaming. 

_’I’m going to die.’_

Lev slammed him into the wall.

_’He’s going to kill me.’_

A fist connected with his face, sending it snapping back into the drywall behind him. 

**_”What the hell were you thinking?”_ **

Lev wrapped a fist in his shirt, fist meeting his jaw with a sickening crack. 

_”You’re supposed to be setting a good example for your brother and sister!”_

He was inches from his face now, pinning him to the wall with his presence alone. The boy tried to scurry away, but his father caught him on the shoulder. Lev was six feet tall, two hundred and twenty pounds. Viktor was five foot six, one hundred and thirty pounds. He never stood a chance in the first place of getting away in the first place, and he knew it.

_”I trust you. I have the best train you, send you to the best schools, give you my good looks, and this is how you repay me?”_

Viktor sobbed loudly as the man hit him again. 

_”I’m sorry, Papa, please!”_

_”Sorry for what? Sorry for disappointing me or sorry you got caught?”_

The teen tried to protect his face with his hands, curling up into a ball like a wood louse. 

_”I really don’t think you’re sorry yet, boy.”_

He kicked him in the back repeatedly, coming down again and again till Viktor felt like he couldn’t get a single ounce of air into his lungs at all. He stopped yelping and began weeping quietly into his hands.

He felt Lev’s presence leave the room, giving him a false sense of hope, until he returned with the wooden bat from the 1986 World Series game he kept over his door. Viktor had almost hoped he just went for his head right away, ending it right there and then, but it came down on his thigh first, practically shattering his femur as soon as it made contact. White-hot pain seared up and down Viktor’s legs like sparks, but it slowly waded into numbness as the shock settled in. 

Lev moved away from him for a minute, breath heavy as he stood over Viktor’s unmoving body. The whole house was silent apart from his father’s breathing, and Chris slamming on the door, calling out Viktor’s name became distant sounding like he was in a tunnel. Time stopped for him, vision blackening around the edges a bit. He was suffocating, drowning in his own blood; he could see and feel it now, around the edges of his swollen face and dripping down his lips and eyebrow. Viktor was going to die. 

“Vitya?” 

Who’s voice was it? Definitely not his father, he’d never called him anything but ‘son’ or his name. 

_”Vitya, get up.”_

His head felt lighter now, and the numb feeling had spread all over his body. It wasn’t unpleasant, almost like when you’re dreaming.

**_”Viktor, get the fuck up!”_ **

Thick arms wrapped around him and the pain came back. He screeched loudly, arching back, trying desperately to get back to the ground. 

_’Let go of me!’_

He began shaking violently, when had it become so cold?

“Vitya, I have to lift you up so I can get you in the car.” 

When he coughed, it was thick and hot, burning all the way up his oesophagus and making his ribs pop and grind beneath him. He’d later find out that he’d vomited blood and bile all over the dining room carpet, and later in his passed-out state in Yakov’s car.

But that was the last thing he remembers. Some moments between came back to him, like when he was stretched out on the gurney and he could hear his uncle speaking with a doctor beside him. 

_”What happened?”_

_”He was mugged.”_

Things went black again. 

The next thing he remembered was somebody hovering over him, shining a light into his eyes. Everything was blurry and the light was blinding, he had no idea who it was, but suddenly there was a loud ringing - rushing and yelling around him – then silence again. 

When he came to finally, Yakov was the only one in his room, Yuri sleeping peacefully in his lap. He squinted, the light was a bit too much, and there was something over his mouth and a tube down his throat. He tried reach up to pull the mask off his face but his hand caught on the IV, making him wince.

 _“Vitya,”_ He croaked when he noticed Viktor’s eyes were open, _“Don’t move. You’re safe now, in the hospital, but you’re hooked up to all sorts of machines.”_ He reached over, placing a worn hand over Viktor’s, careful of the IV. _“I’m so sorry, Vitya.”_

He’d never seen his uncle’s face so concerned or soft for somebody before; he must have been really worried for Viktor. 

_”I’ll never forgive Lev… What a monster- His own son!”_ He cut off before he could get too worked up and wake the sleeping child in his arms. 

Viktor felt a tear run down his cold cheek, letting himself sink back into the mountain of pillows behind him. 

_”I don’t know what he was thinking, Viktor,”_

_’I’m an abomination.’_

_”But he won’t get away with this again, I can assure you.”_

_’He should’ve finished the job.’_

_”He almost killed you.”_

_’He should have, why did you stop him?’_

_”Please rest,”_ The man patted his arm gently, _“You need to heal quickly so you can get to school.”_

__The tears flowed freely down his cheeks, staining his hospital gown under his chin. When Yakov and Yuri left he lifted his free arm and tried to reach up and rip the ventilator from his face, but his movements were sluggish and laboured. The alarm sounded before he could get any further and multiple nurses and doctors entered the room._ _

_”Mr. Nikiforov, please stop!”_ They pinned his arms to the bed, _”That’s helping you breath, please stop struggling. You’re too injured.”_

_’I know!’_ He shouted at them, but no words came out. _’I know what it’s for! Get it out!’_

He thrashed around, meds helping him ignore the deep ache throughout his body. One of them slipped another needle in his arm and he slowly relaxed again, hands came off his body and his mind went to another place. 

~~~ 

“Is it true you’re in a gang? Is that why you started so late?” 

Viktor stiffened in his seat at the desk, turning as much as his body would allow him to so he could face his roommate. 

“Where did you hear that?” 

“It’s been going around.” The boy sat on his bunk, head on his knees and arms keeping them close as he read through a school novel. “Plus I was there when you were dropped off in that big van with the dudes with all the tattoos and junk. Pretty heavy stuff, man.” 

Viktor had met quite a few Americans in his life, but this one was probably the strangest. 

“So, because I was held back and because I was brought here by my family’s chauffer you’ve come to the conclusion that I’m part of a gang?” 

“Woah, dude, it’s not just that.” He abandoned the book on his bed, “I’ve seen The Boondock Saints like ten times, man, and you give off that vibe. I mean, Niliforv? Sinister shit.” 

“It’s _Nikiforov,_ Jackson.” Viktor fought back the urge to snap at him, “Can I please continue my homework? Some of us want to graduate.” He tapped his pen on his textbook, sending out a silent prayer for Chris to come back soon and grant him some peace from the incessant chatter from their other roommate. He’d just gotten back from the gym, and he really needed to study, but his legs were restless still. He obviously hadn’t shed enough energy. 

Viktor had been held back a year to make time for physical therapy. He’d stayed at the hospital for four months before being able to return home to continue the therapy there. The doctor had also told him he should consider a mental therapist as well. 

_”Sadly this happens to a lot of people, Mr. Nikiforov. I would greatly advise seeing a psychiatrist, especially for somebody your age."_

Of course, this never happened. He healed quickly despite multiple instances of not listening to his doctors and physical therapists. Lucky, they called him, but Viktor wasn’t so sure. 

He was green lit to go back to America to finish his last year of school for the new school year. It was a rough last eleven and a half months, but on the plus side his father barely spoke to him anymore, Yana had run off with a much younger man and a wad of Lev’s cash, and Chris and him were finally in the same year since Chris was a year ahead and Viktor was a year behind. Now they were in college, Viktor just turned nineteen over winter break, Chris just about seventeen. 

Suddenly his phone vibrated and the words ‘Soul Mate’ were illuminated on the screen, signifying he’d texted Viktor. He swiped it open to read it. 

_‘What doing’_

_**’Who is this?’** _

_Our lord and saviur Christophe giacomettti_

_**Why is your name Soul Mate in my phone?** _

_**Are you drunk?** _

_i changed it cuz were soul mates_

_a little, ya_

_**We are not soul mates.** _

_:( yes we are._

_friend soulmates_

_froul mates_

_bromates_

_lol i sound like ur roommate_

**What do you want, Chris?**

_broomate._

_O_

_theres a house party goin on just off campus_

_3 st_

_thought youd be interest_

Chris was obviously hammered already, and which stressed Viktor out beyond belief. If Chris was hammered that meant there was a lot of alcohol at this party. **A lot** of alcohol. At seventeen Chris could already drink Viktor, pureblooded Russian Bratva descendant, under the table. 

**Give me ten.**

Viktor stood and pushed his seat in, walking over to the large chest of drawers he shared with his roommate so he could find more suitable party clothes. 

“Where are you going?” 

“To a party.” 

“A _gang_ party?” 

Viktor stopped undressing to shoot his roommate a look. 

“Can I come?” 

The Russian sighed loudly, breathing out a ‘Fine.’ As he shucked his sweatpants and wriggled into some skinny jeans, throwing his leather jacket over his shirt. His hair was tied back messily and his shirt may or may not have been slept in already, but Chris was about to get totalled and dance on some tables; this would have to do. 

Jackson followed him out to the car, letting himself drop into Viktor’s front seat. He tried not to make a comment when the boy’s muddy shoes scuffed across the carpet on his floor. Tonight would be alright, he could save it for another day. 

The party was loud and ruckus, obnoxious rap music playing over the speakers spread throughout. It was just a house in the burbs just outside campus, sure to get shut down in a few hours, but Viktor would enjoy the short time anyway. It had been a while since he’d let go and partied. 

“Vitya!” Chris called from across the room, jumping up over some people much to their dismay. Rather than walking around the couch he climbed over it, falling into the lap of a couple making out. They shot apart and pushed him off, but he snapped back up like nothing had happened, dusting himself off before latching onto the older boy. 

“How did you see me from all the way across the room?” 

“I told you!” He was slurring a bit, “We’re soul mates.” He poked Viktor in the chest, frowned, then did it again. “You used to be such a twink, now you’re hard as a rock, what happened? Jackson!” he yelled, startling the shorter boy, “Feel Viktor’s boobs! He’s so hot now. Viktor, why?” Viktor laughed but pulled the taller boy’s arm from his neck. 

“Oh!” Chris waved his arms at somebody, pulling Viktor forward. “I met somebody, she’s really cool!” The Swiss boy laughed, stopping in front of a young girl with bleach blond hair. He knew he’d never seen her but she seemed oddly familiar. “This is Vanessa. She’s in college, too.” 

“Nice to meet you, Vanessa, I’m-“ 

“This is Viktor-“ The younger boy hiccupped, “Viktor, who I told you about.” 

“Ah, the infamous Viktor. I was beginning to wonder if you were a figment Chris’ imagination.” Viktor chuckled hardily. 

“Oh, Chris couldn’t possibly imagine somebody as amazing as me up.” 

“Is that so?” She raised an eyebrow, “That’s a nice accent, Viktor, where are you from?” 

“Russia, St. Petersburg.” Vanessa stood then, “I’m just here for school, though, like Chris.” 

“You look a little young to be first year.” 

__

“I was held back a year.” 

__

“Bad grades?" 

__

“Car accident.” Her eyes grew wide, then softened to something more sympathetic. 

__

“Would you like a drink, Viktor?” 

__

“I’d love one.” He offered her a smile, “Lead the way.” 

__

Over drinks, Viktor came to learn quite a bit about Vanessa. She grew up in Denver but came here to finish her architecture and engineering degree, which Viktor thought was pretty impressive. She was second year, passing with flying colours, on her way to become a full-fledged architect. 

__

“Would you like to come upstairs with me, Viktor?” 

__

He froze mid sip, contemplating the question. He knew what this entailed but he never thought he’d get this far with the woman. 

__

“I’m sorry, I don't swi-” Viktor started to apologize, but she raised her hand. 

__

“I kind of got the vibe, yeah.” She smiled at him but obviously wasn’t very pleased, “It was too good to be true.” 

__

He smiled at her sympathetically. Vanessa was a very kind, interesting person. He felt bad that he probably led her on without knowing. He handed her his drink, excusing himself to the bathroom. 

__

How selfish of him. He was at a college party; of course he should have known she was talking to him because of _that._ Viktor looked at himself in the mirror. Long hair tied into a messy bun, dark circles under his eyes from insomnia, a couple scars riddling his face, but fading. He’d definitely seen better days, worse too, but he was just glad his father had for the most part left his face alone. 

__

He washed his hands and went back to where Vanessa was still waiting for him at their spot on the stairs. When he sat down, he reached for his drink again, and thanked her for holding it. 

__

Really, he’d only had a couple drinks. No shots, no hard liquor, just some watermelon whisky and a couple rye  & cokes. 

__

_So why was the room starting to spin?_

__

“Viktor, you don’t look so good.” Vanessa laid a hand on his shoulder to hold him upright, “Why don’t you go have a lie down?” Viktor didn’t remember nodding or not, but at some point he stood, guided up the stairs by Vanessa’s hands, staring down at her electric blue heels. 

__

She told him to lie on the bed, so he did. It was soft, really soft; much softer than his bed in his dorm. He smiled goofily, rubbing his head against the pink pillow under his head. Viktor was ready for a nap, so those must have been some strong drinks. 

__

But suddenly a blurry figure came close to his face and lips were on his, tasting of mint lip balm and vodka cranberries. He frowned trying to push away but he was _just so tired._

__

The figure moved away, and all he could make out was bright blonde hair and piercing green eyes. 

__

_’Mama?’_

__

_~~~_

__

When he came to he was propped up against his car just where he’d parked it. The party was over, empty solo cups strewn across the lawn, a couple pieces of furniture here and there, and he was alone. 

__

His head still felt a bit cloudy, the effects of the alcohol hadn’t worn off completely yet, but there was something else there. What happened? Where was everybody? 

__

It was still dark out but light was just starting to peak over the horizon, meaning it was probably close to six or seven in the morning. 

__

He didn’t have on his leather jacket, it was probably somewhere in the house, but he wasn’t worried; he’d just buy a new one. He reached into his left pocket, hands coming out empty, then his right, pulling out his car keys. 

__

It took a few moments to stand completely, making his way around his car with support from the hood. Despite it being warm compared to St. Petersburg, it was still a chilly January night for Los Angeles. 

__

In the few minutes it took Viktor to get his keys in the ignition, many memories flooded back to him. Chris and Jackson at the party, that girl Vanessa, getting very sleepy, laying back in a bed. 

__

Viktor gripped the steering wheel tightly, letting out a shaky breath. 

__

_’Why me?’_

__

He started the car. 

__

_’What did I do to deserve this?’_

__

He pressed down on the gas pedal, jerking the steering wheel sideways, slamming into a light post in front of the house. 

__

_~~~_

__

Viktor handed Chris the craft scissors over his shoulder, soft afternoon breeze slipping in through the open window in the bathroom. The sun was still high in the sky, illuminating the bathroom, and by this time in two days he’d be in St. Petersburg with his family; it was time to start fresh again. 

__

“How much, like-“ 

__

“All of it, Chris.” He pulled out his lighter, flicking it on over the bowl of the pipe. “I’m done with this shit.” 

__

His friend nodded, leaning forward to begin the long work ahead of him. He’d never cut hair before, so he just kind of worked his way up. It took him about an hour, and by the time he was done Viktor was slumped, limp in the chair, pupils blown wide, staring into space. 

__

“You alright, Vitya?” 

__

He nodded. 

__

“You alright if I sleep on your bed if you’re going stay in here for a bit?” 

__

He nodded again. 

__

Viktor stared at himself in the mirror. He looked better now, a little more masculine he thought. Nobody ever took him seriously when he was growing out his hair, maybe now they would. 

__

He turned his chin to the left. When had his jaw become so defined? 

__

Then he turned it to the right. When had his face filled out like this? When had his features sharpened? 

Viktor looked like an adult.

__

He looked more like his father then ever. Maybe this would make him happy for once. Viktor would get out of the car, Lev would greet him at the door with whatever woman he was fucking for the month with a slap on the shoulder. 

__

_”I’m glad you came to your senses, Viktor. You’ve grown up nicely, you look like a real man now.”_

__

He smiled at the thought, letting his head tip back over the edge of the chair. 

__

“Thanks, Chris.” He called out, running a hand threw freshly shorn locks. “Chris?” 

__

He turned completely around, but with the light from the full moon shining in through the window he could see there was nobody in his bunk, just Jackson fast asleep in his own. 

__

_~~~_

__

“And every time I see you grin I’m such a happy individual!” 

__

_thwack_

__

“The moment that you speak,” 

__

_thwack_

__

“I wanna go play hide-and-seek!” 

__

_thwack_

__

_”Viktor! What did I tell you about your stupid American music!”_ Lev tore open the French doors to the back patio, pausing with his mouth agape when he saw the state Viktor was in. 

__

He’d brought his father’s brand new red Jaguar out to the back patio overlooking the property. The house was on top of a slight hill overlooking their pool grounds and the back few acres. The sun was still quite high in the sky, beating down hot on the hood of the car that was lined with golf balls, and on the half empty bottle of wine that was resting on the convertible hood. 

__

Viktor was up there, too, standing on the hood, light shining down on him, making his hair glow like a halo. He was wearing faded blue converse, beige cargo shorts, with a thin, red, tropical print t-shirt with no buttons done up, and a matching sun visor. He was wearing his father’s golfing gloves and glasses, too, and carrying one of the expensive drivers he’d gotten as some sort of gift from an important business trip the year before. 

__

_”What the hell are you doing?”_

__

_”Working on my tan.”_ Viktor said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “You make me feel so young!” He swung the club with all his force, knocking the ball high into the air as it disappeared over the hill, uncaring of the large chip he left in the impeccable paint job, “You make me feel there are songs to be sung!” The Russian swivelled his hips in a kind of dance, taking a sip from the wine on the hood, “Bells to be rung and a wonderful fling to be flung!” 

__

Lev’s eyes were dark with rage, but he didn’t take a step closer. 

__

_”Don’t play coy with me, boy, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”_

__

“Well,” Viktor started in English, knowing it irritated his father. “You’re always telling me I should pick up some hobbies, so I thought to myself _‘Y’know what Papa loves? Golf!’_ That’s a manly sport, right?” He did a little spin on his toes and swung again, hitting the ball dead on. “You’re always drinkin’ this…” he paused to look at the label on the wine, “Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon shit that’s older than me and popping those Zolofts like they’re Pez so that’s what I’m doing!" He took a big swig, "And let me tell you, I feel fantastic.” He said dramatically, as if he was in a TV advert. Viktor giggled and threw the bottle to his father, who caught it in one hand, spilling the expensive wine over the sleeve of his shirt. 

__

_“You’re twenty three years old, Viktor, much too old for shenanigans like this!”_ He reached over to the speakers and shut them off, making Viktor frown behind his glasses. 

__

“You turned off my Frank Sinatra.” 

__

Lev reached over to grab him by the leg to pull the man off the car but Viktor hopped off the hood first, landing in a squatting position in front of the car, still gripping the driver. 

__

“Did I do something wrong? I just want to be like you, dad.” 

__

_”Viktor, you’re out of control! I should have sent you to military school, not college. I feel like I don’t know my own son anymore!”_

__

Viktor pursed his lips, standing and straightening his back. 

__

_”I don’t think you ever knew your son in the first place.”_

__

_”I’ve given you everything,”_ Lev took a step towards Viktor but he didn’t flinch, _”Everything you’ve ever asked for. I paid for your schooling, bought you cars, paid for your therapy, I sat back and watched as you stole from our imports for your own personal recreational use, and **all I ask is that you grow up and be the man I raised you to be!”**_

__

Viktor’s mouth fell open like he was about to say something, and for once he waited. Waited for Lev to reach forward and throttle him, strangle him half to death like he’d done so many times before, throw him into the pool, call his men in to beat Viktor for him, but it never came. 

__

“Money can buy a lot of things,” His face was completely neutral, _”But it can’t buy happiness, and it can’t bring my mother back.”_

__

He turned back towards the car, bringing the club up and over his head and bringing it down fast on the windshield, then on the hood, destroying the pristine paint and clean headlights, tearing through the mesh on the convertible top. 

__

Lev lunged at him, but he was faster, spinning around and knocking his legs out with the driver. The older man fell back, landing on the stereo system and turning it back on. 

__

_’You make me feel so young,”_

__

He brought it back down a few times, beating the man below him until he was begging for him to stop. 

__

_’You make me feel so spring and sprung,”_

__

Viktor reached down to grab the man’s bruised chin, forcing him to look him in the eyes. 

__

**_“Look at me!”_ **

__

Lev struggled under him, earning him a swift punch to the face. 

__

_”I said look, you old fuck!”_

__

_’And every time I see you grin,’_

__

_’I’m such a happy individual!’_

__

_”I’ve waited sixteen years for this. Sixteen long years till I could see the look on your face when you finally realized what you did to me when you took her.”_

__

He straightened, bringing the handle of the club back down hard on the man’s head. 

__

_”Sixteen fucking years, Lev.”_ He paused to look down at the man gasping for breath. _“You want to hear my plan? I’ll tell you.”_ He pulled a cigarette from the open carton in the breast pocket of his shirt, putting it in his mouth and lighting it, taking a slow, deep drag before exhaling. This was his time finally, and he was going to stretch it out as long as he could. 

__

_”First, I’m going to kill you. We’ll act upset, have your funeral, maybe Georgi will even shed a tear. Who knows, right? Stranger things have happened.”_ The grey-haired man got to his knees, coughing up blood onto the concrete. Viktor reached out with a foot, pushing him back onto his stomach. _“I’m not done yet, let me finish.”_ The young man took another drag, leaning back against the ruined car. 

__

_”We’ll come back here and business will go on as usual. I’m much more proficient than you, you’re very old fashioned, so no doubt I’d become a favourite among the other bosses.”_ He leant forward to tap his cigarette out over the man, _“Business will be better than ever, and then I’ll travel a bit on business. I’ll meet the love of my life. He’ll come live with me and we’ll fall in love, get married, maybe adopt some kids, and it’ll be like one of those sitcoms from the nineties except gayer, and the twist is that I’m the boss of a very successful organized crime ring.”_ Viktor stood to his feet, stepping onto his fathers back to pin him to the ground as he put the cigarette out on the back of his neck, right over the fading tattoo of his mother’s name. He got close, ignoring the screams of agony from the older man, and whispered in his ear. 

__

_”And then we’ll fuck on that big, old, expensive desk in your office that’s been passed down from Pakhan to Pakhan.”_ He grinned a dazzling smile, looking his father right in the eyes, “Are you picturing it now? I hope so.” He dropped the man’s head back down. 

__

“I’m gonna feel the way I do today,” he sang at the top of his lungs, “’Cause you make me feel so young!” Viktor spread his legs, steadying himself, and swung, large end of the driver coming to contact with Lev’s face, taking a couple chunks of scalp with it. 

__

“You make me feel so young!” He swung again, blood spattering across the spotless patio. 

__

“You make me feel so young!” The third swing finished the job, opening a large cavity in the side of the man’s head, making him near unrecognizable. 

__

**_’Ooh, you make me feel so young!’_ **

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I regret every decision I've ever made in my entire life. 
> 
> But this Chapter was so incredibly fun to write, _holy shit._ Please let me know what you think! I love hearing from you guys and the positive response has been overwhelming!
> 
> There will be lots more Yuuri in the next chapter, sorry for this little interlude, but I thought it was important and that most of you would appreciate it.
> 
> Btw, when Chris and Viktor are first frackling Viktor is 17 (it's August) and Chris is 15. Things are confusing because Viktor's birthday is so close to the end of the year. 
> 
> Also, I did some research and Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine Viktor is drinking in the last scene, is from 1941, and is worth almost $25,0000.


	10. Journey From Eden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Journey From Eden' by Steve Miller Band.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is completely self indulgent and made me extremely giddy. I hope it makes you happy, too, please enjoy. 
> 
> This will be the last chapter like this in the fic. It's pretty much been exposition up until now, I feel, and things will be up quick and won't let up for a bit.

The moment Yuuri walked in the door, he felt out of place, underdressed, and all around unwelcome.

Viktor hadn’t said much in his text other than dress well and that their driver Cole would take him there for seven o’clock. He’d rushed upstairs; sorting through their closet trying to find the suit Viktor had made up for him a few months ago. 

Most of his time was spent in the bathroom, though. He took off his glasses, put them back on, took them off again, and repeated. He kept his glasses on, brushed his hair back, took them off and let his bangs fall, completely unsure of what ‘dress well’ entailed exactly. Yuuri huffed loudly in exasperation, dropping his glasses into their case and opening up the medicine cabinet for the gel Viktor sometimes used in his hair. It was expensive looking and smelt of flowers, though he’d expect nothing less from the Russian, so he only used a bit to keep his bangs out of his eyes. 

“Looking sharp, Yuuri.” He stared into the mirror a bit longer, examining his face and body. The suit fit him well; showing off his quite thick thighs and round ass, no doubt Viktor did it on purpose. Other than that, he thought he looked quite plain. 

What did Viktor see in him? His eyes were a boring shade of brown, hair a boring shade of black, he had stretch marks from childhood despite being the healthiest weight he’d been in years. He wasn’t pretty or muscular like Viktor, or exotic looking and sounding, and he was still going through a growth spurt that had him gangly in some places and short in others. 

He checked the time and realized he’d taken too long, and Cole was probably outside waiting for him. 

It was an elegant looking restaurant, the kind you go to when you save up for a special occasion or if you’d _won the fucking lottery_ because _holy fucking shit, that chandelier was finished with gold_ and _that’s a real Jackson Pollock._

When he gave Viktor’s name to the host, he looked Yuuri up and down but said nothing. The heels on his dress shoes clacked above the quiet classical music playing just a bit louder than the quiet roar of the restaurant. Without him even asking, champagne was brought the table, no doubt expensive, as well as a bouquet of pink and blue flowers. He took a few sips, it had been a while since he’d had champagne, and this was exquisite, almost too much. 

“Hello, stranger.” Viktor leaned over his chair, resting his hands gently on his shoulders, “What brings you here to my private booth?”

“Oh,” Yuuri was about to reply, but Viktor kissed him on the cheek and slid into the seat and around so he was sitting just perpendicular to him. He was dressed to the nines, suit hugging him in all the right places, hair brushed back just a bit from his face. He looked like a real boss in that suit, and it had Yuuri’s mouth watering. 

“I’m just waiting for somebody.” He grinned, resting his head on his hand. 

“We can wait together then? I’m waiting for somebody too.” 

“Really? What’s the occasion?” He sipped his champagne and stared over the rim at Viktor who was having his own glass poured. 

“Well, you see, it’s a little complicated actually.” He thanked the waiter and sipped his flute, “I’d say he’s my boyfriend, but it’s a bit more than that. He’s starting school soon, and he’s going to have no time for me anymore!” 

“It sounds like this boyfriend of yours is pretty important to you.” Yuuri’s grin widened, unable to hold back his adoration for the absolute dork of a man in front of him. 

“He is!” Viktor stated a little too loud, “So important, but I wouldn’t mind trading him in for the night for your company.” He gave a little wink. 

“Oh wow, he must be not very good looking then, if you’d give him up for somebody like me.” 

“I beg to differ.” He leaned across the table, just inches from the boy’s lips, “He’s stunningly beautiful. Turns heads when he walks through the door, you know? He looks a lot like you, actually.” Suddenly Viktor’s lips were on his, the sharp taste of champagne and smell of tobacco flooding his senses, before the Russian pulled away, self-satisfied smirk etched across his face. “Do you like your flowers?” 

“They’re beautiful, Viktor, this is all too much.” 

“Nonsense!” He sighed deeply, “I can’t believe you’re going to high school. Soon you’ll be all grown up and won’t need me anymore.” Yuuri slapped him on the shoulder but couldn’t hold back his laughter. 

“It’s hardly high school! It’s just the courses, and they’re all online, so don’t freak out just yet.” 

“Yes of course, but promise me one thing?” 

Yuuri leaned in a bit. 

“I know it’s late in the year, but _please_ graduate before Yura. I want to see the look on his face.” 

Yuuri frowned and leaned back. 

“You are a child.” 

“Yuuri, this is a golden opportunity.” Viktor tried reasoning, “I mean, I’m happy if you’re happy, but don’t you think it would be pretty great?” 

“You’re a real handful, Nikiforov, did you know that?” 

“So I’ve been told,” Viktor chuckled and grabbed Yuuri’s hand, lacing their fingers. They laughed and drank some more champagne over talk of Yuuri’s coursework until both were feeling quite relaxed. When their food came, Yuuri was suddenly struck with curiosity. 

“Where did you go to school?” 

“It was an all boys boarding school in Kazan.” He cut into his lobster tail, “Chris and I went to the same school so he’d come home with me for the summers.” Yuuri practically winced at the sound of the man’s name. 

“Is that where you two met?” 

“No,” Viktor bit into the lobster and made a small noise of satisfaction, “He’s two years younger than me, and a grade below. Our families often did business together, we’re quite close.” Yuuri nodded along, “Although, we were in the same grade in College since I was held back a year.” 

Yuuri paused a bit as he chewed his duck, but then continued past the thought. 

“What did you go to college for?” 

“Business and Economics in Los Angeles.” He put his utensils down on his plate and leant back, folding his hands in his lap. “You can ask about it, Yuuri, it’s fine.” 

“I just didn’t want to bring back any bad memories if, y’know…” 

“It’s fine,” Viktor grabbed Yuuri’s knee under the table, “We talked about this, I don’t want to have any secrets anymore.” He squeezed Yuuri’s hand tightly and brought it up to his face, kissing across the knuckles. “My father, Lev, found out about Chris and I fooling around one day in the summer when Yana walked in on us, about a week before school started. I know you’ve heard a bit of the story, but not the whole thing.” He didn’t look at Yuuri as he continued, “We were just kids fooling around- he beat me half to death. My heart stopped a few times; actually, I was on life support for two weeks. I didn’t see him till I left the hospital four months later. It took me a year to be able to walk on my own again, the doctors tell me I’m lucky I have full motion in my body right now.” Yuuri looked horrified but he continued on. 

“But I did it. I finished school, moved to LA for college, which wasn’t a great time either but anything was better than home, I had Chris to help me when I overdosed or drove my car into trees, and I came home when I was twenty two. Things weren’t good at home, either. I started spiralling even more out of control. Lev wanted me to become more active in the business despite my objections, but I suppose it was good because he killed himself a year later, making me the next Pakhan much earlier than anybody had expected. I had to grow up very quickly.” 

The Russian stopped to see Yuuri’s reaction. He was still looking quite horrified, but there was another look on his face; anger. The boy’s brow was furrowed and his eyes were glossed over in rage. He held Viktor’s hand tightly under the table, and looked him dead in the eye. 

“Do you ever miss him?” 

Viktor was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Yuuri to be angry or ask him anything so blunt after, but he managed an answer. 

“Not at all.” Viktor paused as Yuuri bit his lip, analyzing the situation. “He killed my mother right in front of me.” The younger boy froze, mouth agape. The moment he saw the look in those crystal blue eyes as he spoke of the event he knew Viktor had killed his father.

Suddenly everything clicked into place for Yuuri. The possessive behaviour, the struggle for power, the words he spoke, his actions, the way he held himself, his distaste for Yana, Chris’ warnings, it all made sense now. 

His face softened and he scooted closer to Viktor, wrapping his arms tight around his neck. The Russian returned the embrace immediately, squeezing Yuuri tight against his chest.

“But I have you now, Yuuri, it won’t happen again. Yakov just brought back a lot of emotions, but I’m better now. I can be better for you, and for my family.” He kissed the crown of Yuuri’s head. 

“I know you will, Viktor.” The boy nuzzled his face into the taller man’s neck, “You’ll be better than he ever was.” 

~~~

“Yuuri! Yuuri, baby, slow down, please!” 

The younger boy opened the door behind them, swinging himself and Viktor into their bedroom, not removing his mouth from the taller man’s neck as he pushed him back into the bathroom against the tiled walls. 

“Yuuri, please.” 

Yuuri pulled away from him, frowning as he looked up into his eyes, blown wide in arousal. 

“You said we should have a shower.” 

“I just meant we should have a shower, I didn’t know you were- I didn’t think you’d be ready yet!” 

Yuuri raised an eyebrow at him, lifting himself on his toes so he could bring his face closer. 

“Does it look like I’m not ready?” 

Viktor practically tore of his shirt, groaning loudly, letting his head fall back against the tiles as Yuuri continued his musings, sucking dark mark onto the man’s collarbones and sternum and across the muscly expanse of his torso, working his way lower until he reached his belt. 

“Lets get in the shower, I’m cold.” He stepped away, leaving Viktor heaving on the edge of the bathroom, bare back pressed hard against the cold tiles. It was like Yuuri knew just what to do to get Viktor going, unbuttoning his dress shirt slow, pulling it off, bending over as he shed his pants. 

Viktor wanted to walk over to meet him, feel his hips tight against the swell of Yuuri’s perfect, round ass, but the look the boy was giving him now was fire, telling him to get undressed and stay where he was. 

He shucked his belt, shoes, and pants before stepping forward, letting Yuuri pull him into the shower, turning it on over their heads. It was cold at first, but quickly warmed up, as did their kisses. The smaller boy moved to his waist again, dropping down to his knees and gripping Viktor’s half-hard cock. 

He laid butterfly kisses along the shaft, getting him completely hard before anything else. Viktor moaned loudly, head slipping back to rest on the glass behind him, eyes closed tightly, but Yuuri didn’t move again.

“What’s wrong?” He looked down at the boy, who was blushing down his neck and shoulders all the way to his chest. 

“I want you to fuck my mouth.” Viktor’s pupils dilated, “I know you want to. I see you holding back.” 

“I’m not sure, Yuuri, I don’t have very good self control, you know that-“ 

“I trust you.” How could Viktor say no? Yuuri was looking up at him through his thick black eyelashes, eyes blown dark in arousal, cheeks flushed and getting redder by the second. In that moment Viktor realized that Yuuri liked it, too. He wanted to be used by Viktor.

A large pale hand dropped to Yuuri’s head, running a thumb across his cheekbone and into his hair.

“Are you sure, love?” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure of anything in my entire life.” He slunk back, w sitting onto the cold shower floor. The hot water was rushing down his face now, gelled hair coming apart and plastering itself to his forehead. 

Viktor didn’t think he’d ever seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. 

He stepped forward, wrapping his fingers into Yuuri’s hair gently and resting the tip of his cock on his plump, kiss-swollen lips. Yuuri took him in without hesitation, and he rocked his forward so he was completely engulfed in the hot, wet heat of his mouth. 

Yuuri took it like a champ, unmoving as Viktor used him like an object at his disposal. 

He picked up the pace, legs spread so his feet were around Yuuri’s thighs for balance, pushing in and pulling out till he was almost completely exposed, then diving back in. 

Yuuri hummed quietly, eyes rolling back. His hands were gripping tightly to his thighs, knuckles turning white, he was _enjoying this, jesus christ._

The extra vibrations drove Viktor mad, pulling his lip between his teeth to muffle some of the sounds he was making that echoed throughout the glass shower. He sped up again, tight ball of heat growing at the base of his stomach. 

Yuuri’s eyes never left his, even as Viktor’s head fell back and he was growling deep in his throat, a bit of blood dripping down his chin from the vice grip he had on his lower lip. 

There was precome and saliva dripping down Yuuri’s chin now, dropping down to his swollen cock between his legs and sliding off as the shower washed it away. 

With a sharp intake of breath, Viktor’s entire body tensed and he slammed one last time into Yuuri’s sore mouth, coming hot and fast down his throat. He was heaving, but his grip loosened on the boy’s hair, and Yuuri was suddenly pushing him away so he could breath again. 

Viktor opened his eyes, looking down at the wrecked boy below him. His lips were dark and incredibly swollen, a bit of come on the corner of his mouth and dripping down his chin. He was breathing heavily too, gasping for breath, hunched over his spent length. 

“Yuuri, did you just come too?” He asked shakily, and Yuuri nodded in reply. “I didn’t even realize you were touching yourself.” 

“I wasn’t.“ Yuuri’s head feel back so he could look at Viktor in the eyes.

Holy shit. 

_Holy shit._

**_Holy fucking shit._ **

Yuuri had just come untouched because of what Viktor had done, and that made his stomach clench in arousal despite having just came. He dipped down quickly, kissing the boy’s hot lips and licking the come from them, tasting the salty taste of himself on his tongue. 

“You are the single greatest thing on this planet.” He kissed his forehead, wrapping the boy up in his arms to help him stand. 

They actually did have a shower, cleaning each other’s bodies and hair. It was quiet and extremely intimate, not quite as intimate as what they’d done in the shower minutes before, but still. Viktor basked in the feeling, so domestic and soft, unlike his regular life outside these walls, cold and hard and unforgiving. 

They went to bed, hair still damp from the shower and soaking into their pillows, but neither complained. Yuuri didn’t even complain about his aching jaw.

The look on Viktor’s face had been worth it.

~~~

_“Vitya, I just- oh.”_

Viktor had told his family last night not to disturb him unless things were urgent. Yuuri had been so stressed lately, and they just needed some time alone, to have a lie in and relax. He sent a text to his siblings and cousin, asking them to tell all of the servants and workers not to disturb them either. 

Apparently Yana didn’t get the message. 

She stared down at them, Viktor sitting up in bed, hair dishevelled, cigarette hanging out of his mouth with an arm around Yuuri who was splayed out across his chest. Luckily the blanket was over Yuuri’s shoulders covering them, but they didn’t cover the dark hickies across the expanse of Viktor’s pale skin. The noise of the door and the woman’s loud bark of a voice must have roused him from his sleep, because suddenly Yuuri was shifting, almost waking with a small groan, but he sighed quietly, relaxing back onto Viktor’s chest and falling back asleep. 

_“You let him sleep in the same bed as you?”_

_”What the fuck do you want, Yana?”_ He instinctively ran a hand through Yuuri’s hair. 

_”It’s bad enough he’s a man, Vitya, but he’s not even Russian! He’s a nobody, a whore. You got Lev’s good looks and had the pick of all the beautiful women in Russia, but you picked him.” She clenched her jaw, “The Americans used your weakness against you and you let them.”_ She looked like she was about to cry, hands clutched tightly at her chest. _”Didn’t your father teach you anything?”_

Viktor tensed suddenly, but relaxed when Yuuri nuzzled into his chest while he slept, trying to get closer. 

_”You should be thankful for him, because if he wasn’t here right now there’d be nothing holding me back from **gutting you like a fish.”**_ She frowned at him, _”Tell me what you want and go.”_

_”I just came to tell you that there are some men downstairs with Georgi looking for you. They said it’s very important.”_

_”Fine,”_ he ground his teeth. _”Oh, before you go Yana?”_

She turned on her heels, standing in the doorframe. 

_”You should really learn to knock. I’d hate for you to see me making love to a foreign man.”_

She slammed the door behind her as a smirk crept onto Viktor’s face, making Yuuri jump and cling to the Russian’s shoulders. 

“It’s aright, Yuuri, it was just Yana.” He kissed him softly on the forehead, “You should stay in here today, alright? Unless there’s somewhere you’d like to go, but I think some partners are downstairs and I don’t know how long we’ll be doing business for.”

“I’ll stay,” Yuuri said groggily, “I have to go to the building where my school is tomorrow and it’s a long drive, I’d like to relax.” 

Viktor nodded, kissing Yuuri on the mouth and slipping out from under the covers into the cool room so he could change into more suitable work attire. 

When he got downstairs, Georgi was sitting at the head of the dining room table, surrounding by men. Other than Emil, Minako, and the Crispino’s the only people Viktor recognized were a few older members of the Ji clan in China on one side and some representatives from the American network, sitting around a very small man at the end of the table. 

“May I ask what this is about?” Viktor tried not to frown, thinking about how much he’d rather be upstairs with Yuuri napping then dealing with angry mobsters.

“Mr. Nikiforov,” The small man stood, turning to Viktor. He could see now that this wasn’t quite a man, but more a boy, around Yuuri’s age. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” He stuck a hand out for Viktor to shake, and he took it hesitantly. 

“I assume you’re Ji Guang-Hong? I’ve heard a lot about you. Very impressive work for such a young man.” 

“My father trained me well.” He offered a sweet smile, then returned to the table. “We were just discussing the little incident in Sochi, would you like to sit?” 

Viktor squinted at Georgi. 

“I checked, they have no weapons.” 

He slowly walked to the table, making his way to the seat beside Georgi at the head. 

“What is there to discuss? My Uncle instigated some trouble, the American’s took the bait, and that is that. I can reimburse you for the men, if that’s what you’d like.” 

Guang-Hong nodded, folding his hands on the table in front of him. 

“Your friends had some concerns about your reasoning behind it. I would like to let you all know that this may have set us back a bit, but all in all it was beneficial to all of our business.” 

Viktor raised an eyebrow. 

“So, me killing fifty of your men was good for business?” 

“Precisely.” 

“Don’t humour him, please!” Minako squawked, Emil resting a hand on her shoulder to calm her. 

“Care to elaborate?” 

“The Americans who took your man were part of a separate detail from my allies, although still connected with my group. In recent years they had become a growing problem, constantly cutting us short without explanation and picking fights we had to clean up after, but I thought nothing of it. It was a small network of thugs, and I didn’t feel like getting my hands dirty.” 

“But then when I found out Mr. Feltsman had been contacting them, I thought _’Something must be wrong.’_ and had one of my men do some incognito work.” He motioned to the man beside him, “You remember Leo?” 

“He does look familiar.”

Guang-Hong and Leo chuckled quietly to themselves. 

“You’re lucky Leo managed to get out unscathed, or this meeting would be much different. So Leo gets back to me saying they have one of Nikiforov’s men, that Yakov had set everything up so you would abandon him, but then Leo said you were on your way, and it suddenly became the perfect opportunity to get some business done without getting in trouble with the Americans.” 

“So you basically let them get away with it.” 

“Yes.” 

“You used a member of my family as bait so I would take out the roaches for you.” 

“Exactly.” 

Viktor’s muscles flexed and he was trying not to let his emotions show but he was _so_ close to reaching into his holster and splattering this boy’s brains across the dining room walls. 

“Remind me again how this benefits anybody but yourself?” Viktor spat through gritted teeth.

“They were planning on raiding one of your bases Canada, Mr. Nikiforov.” He was stern now, kind smile wiped completely from his face. “There is a rat amongst you. I suggest you figure out who it is soon, because next time I might not be able to help you.”

Then they stood and filed out, leaving Viktor and Georgi alone at the end of the table. 

Viktor’s entire body was tense, shoulders set wide, eyes staring dark down at the nail marks he was leaving in the heavy wooden table. 

“I think I know who it is, _bratik.”_

~~~

It wasn’t quite warm enough to swim in the pool yet, but soon it would be. The pool cleaner had just been by this morning to fill the pool with strong chemicals you could smell even from the edge of the large pool. They had to be potent to kill anything that had found it’s way into the water over the winter.

Viktor slammed the French doors to the patio open, ignoring the loud crack they made as they slammed back into the walls behind them. Yana was laying back in the hot tub, wearing a bright pink two-piece bathing suit and an obnoxiously large sun hat, Mila in a beach chair a few feet away, tanning her back to avoid the glint of the sun shining off the pool cover. 

Both of them jumped at the sound of the doors, Mila almost landing off the chair. 

”That was quick-“

“Mila, go to your room.”

“Why? It’s finally a nice day I thought I would-“ 

“Mila.” He snapped, “I need to speak with Yana.” 

Mila took one glance at the look on Viktor’s face, and knew what was going on. She shot up, hands clutching her mouth tightly as she ran passed him, not even bothering to shut the doors. 

_”Is something wrong Vitya? I-“_

_”Why?”_

_”… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”_

_”Yes you do. Nobody ever said anything about what happened in America to you but you suddenly know **all** the details. I want to know why. Are you fucking one of them? Is that it? Thought you could come here and get him a slice power in Russia as well so he’d buy you more diamonds?”_

She frowned at him, removing her sunhat and glasses so she could make eye contact. 

_”I just want what’s best for the brotherhood, Viktor, believe me when I say that-“_

Viktor growled, running his hands through his hair, and slamming his fist into the wall. 

**_”You told them about the shipment coming in from Canada and you led Yakov to them to distract me! You don’t want what’s best for us, you want what’s best for yourself!” ___**

_”I really think you could build a strong alliance with the Americans-“_

_”Yuuri could have been hurt or even killed!”_ He slammed his hand against the edge of the hot tub, other hand gripping the older woman’s chin tight. 

She stayed silent, glaring up at Viktor as his vice grip on her face tightened. 

_”That was a risk I was willing to take.”_

Viktor slammed her face into the edge of the hot tub, then let her stagger back, dazed and confused, cross eyed as she stared at her now broken nose. He pulled her from the hot water by her face and neck, throwing her back onto the poolside. Dragging her by her foot across it, he ignored her screams of agony as her back was torn from the concrete until she thrashed and kicked, managing to hit him in the kidney so he’d let go.

She only managed to get away for a few seconds, tearing her knees up as she struggled to get to her feet and run.

But Viktor was quicker, wrapping his arms around her midsection and picking her up off the ground, ignoring as she scratched and punched and elbowed him in the face. 

He dropped her into the deep end of the pool onto the pool cover, and it immediately sunk under her weight. She went under fast, coming right back up but struggling to stay upright. 

_”Please, Viktor-“_ She cried to him, _”I’m your mother!”_ The water was shockingly cold and reeked of chemicals, and it was impossible to stay afloat as the pool cover wrapped around her body. No doubt it was burning her back and knees, as well, and burning as it entered her broken nose.

_“You’re not my mother.”_

Viktor stepped on the release latch on the pool cover, letting the tarp come undone from the roller and take her back under again. She thrashed around, tangling herself deeper into the material and further down into the pool. He could hear her screaming under the water, begging for him to forgive her. 

But he didn’t. Viktor sat back and watched as the thrashing from under the tarp became more frantic, then suddenly stopped. 

_**~Extra~** _

“Well what do you think the answer is?” 

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you, Pig!” Yuri threw his pen across the room and slammed his head down into the textbook on the dining room table. “Why do we have to learn about this shit anyway? It’s not 1917 anymore and we’re not about to have another revolution any time soon.” 

“Thanks!” Yuuri’s head shot down, quickly scribbling something into his notebook. 

“For what?”

“That was the answer to one of the questions. _‘When did the Russian revolution begin?’_.” 

Yuri groaned, dropping his head back down onto the textbook.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be getting back to plot, I assure you.
> 
> All the comments I've received (from friends and readers alike) since introducing Yana have just been like "CAN YOU PLEASE KILL THAT SKANK ASS BITCH BEFORE I LOSE MY SHIT." 
> 
> So here you go.
> 
> You got your wish. 
> 
> You're welcome.


	11. Sympathy For The Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Sympathy For The Devil' by The Rolling Stones.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the plot thickens! I'm planning at least 10 more (long) chapters, but the fic may go on after that, we'll see if all my plans are finished by then.
> 
> This will make a lot of you happy. So, you're welcome. Also, this chapter is nasty. Really nasty. Cute, and then it's nasty. 
> 
> Sorry not sorry.

Hissing quietly at the sting of the hot water, Yuuri lowered himself slowly enough that his body could adjust until he was fully submerged up to his neck. Tension that a warm shower couldn’t shake slowly left his body, loosening his muscles and letting him relax completely. Sure, it wasn’t his family’s onsen, nothing could compare, but it was the next best thing, he was sure. 

The full moon was set high in the sky and the stars were out. He was thankful for the beautiful view he was given that night. The sky was clear from light pollution and the hill the mansion was set on was the perfect vantage point for stargazing. Yuuri had spent enough time in a prison-like room, staring up at the grey ceiling for hours on end over the shoulder of a man and woman who was buying his time, but now there was no roof and there was nobody above him. Yuuri literally felt on top of the world, nothing pinning him down or holding him back. Completely relaxed now, almost enough so that he could start drifting off, held up only by the seat submerged in the large hot tub. 

Of course Viktor had other ideas. 

Yuuri jumped as hot water hit him in the face, ripping his arm out from under the surface to shield himself. Suddenly long arms were wrapping around his neck and there was pressure on his thighs, a mouth latching onto his neck. 

“Yuuri. Baby. Love of my life,” Viktor cooed into his neck, “You were quite peaceful gazing up at the stars, but I just can’t hold back when you look like that.” Teeth nipped at the soft flesh of his shoulder, sending a sharp shiver down his spine. 

“Not that I’m complaining about this,” The boy’s mouth was set in a firm line but he lifted his chin to give Viktor better access, “But did you really have to jump into the hot tub? You could’ve, y’know, stepped in like a normal person.” Viktor froze, pulling back with his hands still linked behind Yuuri’s head. He wondered what he had said that made Viktor look so serious. 

“Where’s the fun in that?” 

Yuuri let his head fall back against the edge of the tub with a groan, making Viktor laugh and continue his work. Then he pulled away, lifting Yuuri’s head so he could kiss him on the mouth, but there wasn’t much heat in it. He adjusted himself so he was sitting on the seat as well, legs splayed across the smaller boy’s lap and arms resting on the edge of the tub. He reached over the side, picking up his pants that he must have dropped on the ledge before he hopped in, and reached into the pocket to pull out a box of king cigarettes and a lighter. 

“What brings you here at this hour? It’s a little cold for it, don’t you think?” Viktor put the cigarette between his lips, lit it, then threw the carton and lighter over the side of the tub onto his abandoned pants.

“Is there a better time?” He reached over and stole the cigarette from the older man, “It’s so pretty out. Plus, I was cold in the house.” Yuuri took a slow drag and slipped it back between Viktor’s lips. 

“I could think of other ways to warm up.” The Russian grinned around his smoke, and blew out. Yuuri chuckled and flicked a bit of water at him, but settled back down into the water so his shoulders were covered. The St. Petersburg sky was so different than the one in New Mexico, and he could hardly even remember what it had looked like in Japan. He hoped the pictures he kept from Hasetsu did it justice. 

“What are you thinking about?” 

“Huh?” Viktor blew out a drag as he turned his head to face him. He hadn’t realized he’d zoned out. 

“You had that look on your face that you get when you’re thinking.” Viktor furrowed his brow and tensed his lips, “Like this.” 

“I don’t look like that when I’m thinking!” 

“Yeah you do!” Viktor laughed and leant up so he could kiss Yuuri’s cheek and wrap an arm around his shoulders, “Especially when you’re doing homework. It looks like geometry really grinds your gears.” 

“Well, it doesn’t get my motor running, that’s for sure.” He chuckled, resting his head on Viktor’s chest. “I’m just thinking about tomorrow. It’ll be weird going back.” 

“Not that I don’t want you there, because I do,” He pulled the fag from his mouth and held it in front the younger boy’s lips, “But you don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

“No way!” Yuuri turned to look his boyfriend in the eye, “You’re not leaving me here alone for two weeks with Lilia and Yuri!” 

“Would it really be so bad?” Viktor laughed at the boy’s antics, eyes shining with adoration at the outburst. 

“Yes.” Yuuri slumped back against the side of the hot tub, pulling the cigarette butt from his mouth and snubbing out the embers on the ledge beside it. “Puberty and menopause are not my deal.” 

“I’ll be quick, I swear.” He promised, “My father was friends with the current American leader, our families used to have quite close relations. I need to be thorough, but I know the deal is pretty much as good as done.” 

Yuuri nodded, letting his head fall back against the Russian’s shoulder. By this time tomorrow he’d be back under the American sky for the first time in five months and he really didn’t know how to feel about it. 

This time, though, he’d be his own man. 

~~~

“Holy shit!” Georgi gripped his shirt tightly, wafting it back and forth off his chest to fan himself. “Santa Fe, more like Satan’s armpit.” 

“Georgi, it’s only fifteen degrees.” Viktor squinted at him, “When was the last time you left the house?” 

“The sun doesn’t do good things for my skin.” Georgi snapped, “Plus this winter was so cold! Colder than normal!” 

They’d just gotten off the plane and were waiting on Viktor’s driver to come drop the car off. It was somewhere around eight in the morning; sun having just risen and bathing the land around them in a soft glow. Yuuri couldn’t help but feel sorry for Georgi; if he was overwhelmed now it was going to be hell for him later in the day. Viktor looked cool as ever, shedding a layer as they got off the plane but otherwise unchanging. Mila hadn’t said a word since they got off the jet, still a little raw from the incident with her mother a week prior. She understood, really, but it had still been difficult. Yana was not a good person, then again neither was Mila, but at least she was loyal to her family. The woman had also been absent most of her life, so it only hit her hard the first day, slowly fading into a soft ever-present twang of remorse. 

The chauffer rolled up in the car, just as pink as Yuuri remembered, maybe even brighter. Viktor suddenly launched himself off the curb to hug the car, landing hard on the hood and startling the driver who was getting out. 

“Oh my goodness, how I’ve missed you!” 

“Wow, are you jealous Yuuri? That’s the same thing he does to you when you’ve been gone for a day.” Georgi slapped Yuuri on the shoulder. 

“I’m fine as long as he doesn’t kiss it.” 

Viktor turned his head on the hood and glared at Yuuri. 

“Please don’t kiss the car, Viktor.” 

“I normally would, but I guess I shouldn’t.” He sighed, straightening out and patting the spotless metal gently. “We’ve just been through a lot together, me and her.” 

“I thought you were gay?” Mila smirked, earning her a steely glare from the eldest Russian. 

“Yes, but gays have best friends too, y’know-“ 

“Enough with the car!” Yuuri threw his hands in the air, “Can we please go? I’d like to get to the hotel before the morning rush really sets in.” 

“Anything for you, dear.” Viktor kissed the boy on the forehead and opened the passenger door for him, then making his way to the other side of the car with Georgi, getting into the driver’s seat. 

“What, you’re not going to open my door for me?” 

_“Po’shyol ‘na hui!”_

~~~

“What time will you be gone tomorrow?” 

They were one the couch in front of the television; Yuuri had his head resting on Viktor’s lap, the man’s long fingers absentmindedly playing with his hair as they watched the movie that they ordered off the hotel’s selection. Yuuri had seen it before but Viktor hadn’t; some action movie with too many explosions and meaningless nip-slips to be considered enjoyable, but it had been the only thing on the selection that wasn’t a romantic comedy. 

“I’ll have left by the time you get up.” He curled a black lock onto his index finger, and then let it fall back onto the others. “So, sorry. No wake-up blow job for you tomorrow.”

Viktor chuckled, but Yuuri didn’t. He shifted slightly, twisting around onto his back so he could look the man in the eye. 

“I worry about you, you know.” He lifted his hand so he could touch Viktor’s face, “When you’re not there, I worry. You could be five minutes late and my heart jumps to my throat ‘cause I don’t know if you’re going to come home to me.” 

“I promise I will.” Viktor caught the boy’s hand in his, brushing his lips against his knuckles. “I’ll always come home to you.” 

Yuuri kept staring, eyes tender and soft, just watching quietly as Viktor kissed every knuckle. 

“You know,” Yuuri said quietly, “When I was in the bathroom earlier I noticed there was a Jacuzzi.” 

Viktor’s eyes widened, getting the insinuation immediately. He slung his arms under the smaller boy, picking him up off the couch and spinning in a circle. Yuuri clung to his neck, laughing as he was carried off to the bathroom. 

Viktor sat him down on the edge of the hot tub gently, starting it up and pouring in some of the complimentary bubble bath into the jets. 

“We should probably be careful.” Yuuri took off his glasses and pulled his shirt over his head, “I’m sure the hotel would be less than impressed if we got water all over the floor or broke their Jacuzzi.” Viktor paused with his own shirt pulled over his stomach, halfway across his shoulders.

“Do you think we could break the Jacuzzi?” 

Yuuri started putting his glasses back on. 

“I’m only joking!” He grabbed Yuuri’s hands, setting his glasses back down on the ground and dipping in to kiss him hard on the mouth, “Get those pants off, or you’re getting in with them on.” 

“Impatient, are we?” Yuuri snickered, pulling down his pants and boxers at the same time as he watched Viktor, already naked, leaning over the edge of the tub. Yuuri still hadn’t gotten over Viktor. This man chose _him._ This man with washboard abs, a rock hard chest, and that ass. 

_That ass._

What made Yuuri so appealing to him? He didn’t know, but right now he didn’t really care, he was just thankful. He walked over to Viktor and leant over him, letting his fingers trace shapes down chest, up his sides, then down his lower back and to his hips so he could grip them. He laid his head on Viktor’s back, breathing deeply. The steamy water smelt of flowers and mint, but it still couldn’t mask the scent that was so undeniably Viktor, masculine and grounding. He straightened, leaning back into Yuuri

“Get in, I’ll be right back.”

Yuuri nodded, letting go of the bigger man and slipping into the hot tub just as he had back in St. Petersburg; slow at first, then relaxing into it. 

Viktor returned with a packet of lube and his cigarettes, dropping them on the ledge beside the Jacuzzi for later, then got in. He was slow, this time around, and didn’t knock any water into Yuuri or over the edge of the tub as he sunk down and moved between the boy’s legs. 

“I’m proud of you.” Yuuri told him between slow, sensual kisses. 

“Hmm? What for?” 

“You’re finally learning patience.” 

Viktor growled low and jumped on Yuuri, making the boy laugh and wriggle around as Viktor tickled him. 

“How would you like it today, my prince?” The Russian whispered into his neck. 

“I’d like…” Yuuri pushed him away and spun them so Viktor was sitting and he was between his legs, “To ride you. Please?” 

“You really love that.” Viktor smiled, lifting a hand to card through Yuuri’s hair that was already a little out of sorts from earlier. 

“Do you not? We can try something else if you want.”

“No, love, it’s alright.” He reassured him, leaning up to meet his lips. “I love it. And I love that you love it, too.” 

Yuuri grinned, reaching over his shoulder for the sachet of lubricant on the ledge. He opened it with his teeth, hands too slippery to grip, and lifted Viktor’s hands from the water, handing it to him. 

“I want you to do it this time.” Yuuri leaned in close, wrapping his legs around the taller man’s waist. “You’re so gentle with me, daddy. You make your baby boy feel so good.” 

(Authors note: Cue The Rolling Stones right about now.)

Viktor groaned loudly, feeling his cock jump at the dirty words. He’d always had a soft spot for dirty talk, but it had never been as extreme as this. He poured the cool liquid onto his fingers and spread it around, warming it up so it was comfortable for Yuuri. He slipped his hands under the bubbly water, one gripping tightly to Yuuri’s left cheek the other rubbing softly at his entrance.

The boy bit his lip and made a soft keening noise, dipping his weight down to gain more pressure. Viktor could feel his cock against his stomach, already hardening, and knew he was enjoying the teasing. He squeezed his plump ass harder, and Yuuri let out a soft moan, letting his head fall back. 

Viktor kissed him deep, licking the inside of his mouth, but Yuuri barely responded, too focused on trying to get Viktor to just _get going already._

A slender finger slipped passed his entrance easily, increasing the hot, tight heat building in his stomach. Viktor moved back, wanting to see the look on the younger boy’s face as he opened him up. Yuuri rocked back onto his single finger, groaning out a complaint that it _wasn’t enough._

So Viktor added another, feeling a bigger tug against him this time, but Yuuri’s body still welcomed him, as if they’d just fucked hours earlier. The boy rocked a little faster against him now, their hardening cocks brushing under the water and only increasing their need for each other. 

Viktor grinned at the look of pure bliss on Yuuri’s face as he rocked back on his fingers, bringing his own hand up to wipe his bangs back from his face with a wet hand. In that moment, Viktor understood how Yuuri had felt the other day when he’d come just from Viktor fucking him in the mouth. His whole body shook in sympathy pleasure and he shivered as the boy let out another soft moan as his middle finger curled and brushed his prostate. 

Convinced he was ready, he added a third finger, making Yuuri’s mouth open even wider as he fucked himself back onto the fingers. Yuuri hadn’t always been keen on taking control of the situation in the bedroom, but it showed that sometimes he just needed to let loose. Yuuri may have been young, and “plain looking” to some, but to Viktor Yuuri was the definition of _erotic._

“I’m good,” The boy gasp, pulling off and situating himself over Viktor’s leaking cock under the water. How he knew exactly where he was under all the bubbles, Viktor didn’t know, but he bit his lip to prepare himself as the boy slowly lowered himself onto Viktor’s length, bottoming out much before he should have.

Yuuri was an animal. 

He began moving right away, and Viktor kept sitting back. This time he’d let Yuuri use him like an object. The mutual understanding that they both sometimes just needed things was unspoken, but Yuuri got it. He leaned forward and kissed Viktor, gripping tight to the man’s shoulders as he lifted himself up and lowered back down. Viktor didn’t even make an attempt to touch him, hands gripping the ledge of the Jacuzzi tight in a vice-like grip. 

“What a cockslut.” Viktor growled, making Yuuri groan loudly. “Do you like splitting yourself open over daddy’s cock like that? Doing all the work as he sits back and watches?” 

“Of course,” Yuuri said breathily, “Best feeling in the world.” He picked up the pace, digging his nails into the pale expanse of Viktor’s shoulders. When Viktor’s hips involuntarily snapped up to meet his, he jarred slightly. A bit of water splashed over the edge of the tub, and Yuuri’s hands found their way into a sweaty blond mane. 

He did it again, and again, unable to hold back from meeting Yuuri’s every thrust, driving him that much closer to the edge. Yuuri leaned in to kiss him, but it was more just smashing their mouths together. Viktor caught Yuuri’s bottom lip between his teeth, holding it as they both reached their climaxes. 

They stayed in the tub longer, extremely sweaty and bone tired from the steamy endeavour they just took part in.

“You had to make it up to me…” Yuuri whispered between breaths.

“What?” 

“You said no blowjob tomorrow morning,” He grinned sloppily, “So you had to make it up to me. You did it.”

Viktor returned the grin, spinning the boy around but not leaving his body, pulling him flush against his chest. He needed to hold Yuuri for a while, just feel his skin against his skin, and not think about anything but him. He knew what Yuuri was talking about earlier; there was always a chance of him not coming home when he went to work every day.

But he always did. Yuuri was the love of his life, and nothing could keep them apart.

~~~

Viktor didn’t hold back when it came to business. His suit was impeccable, fitting him perfectly at every angle and hem, and his shoes were polished until they were almost blinding. He didn’t need the glasses to hold a perfect poker face, but sometimes they helped. Business was important to him, and the relationships that came with it, and he took it very seriously.

He stepped out of the car, hands in his pockets, clad in black from head to tow except for his white undershirt. Georgi and Mila matched, but there was no doubt Viktor was in charge. With his head held high and his siblings in tow, he walked up the door of the mansion and knocked. 

The security guards didn’t dare speak or even steal a glance at him. 

A butler opened, welcoming them with grace and a politeness that Viktor thought had been lost over the years, but he didn’t dare look any of them in the eye. 

The butler left them at the door letting them know that his master was in a meeting with some other men and should be out shortly. 

“We’ll wait.” 

They stood outside the door for a bit, Viktor checking his watch every once in a while and tapping his foot impatiently. They were five minutes early, and the five minutes past by quickly. There was yelling from the other side of the door, a bang, then more yelling. 

They were five minutes late now. 

Viktor sighed, spinning on his heels and pushing the door open to the office. 

“Sorry, I don’t like to be kept waiting.” 

“We’re quite impatient. Please excuse us, Tommy.” Georgi added. 

“It’s alright, I was just finishing up. I hope you weren’t waiting long.” The boss was in the chair at the desk smoking a cigar, light from the large window glinting off his ring, but he wasn’t alone. Multiple men were also in the room, four against the far wall, two by the door, and three by the bookshelf. 

But considering the large bullet wound in his head, the blood splattered across the back wall, and the handgun still smoking on the desk beside the ashtray, the one on the ground didn’t count. 

“I was expecting to walk into an actual business meeting, not a Tarantino movie.” Viktor stepped towards the desk and pulled out the chair in front of it, making sure it was a few feet from where it was strategically placed between the boss and the men at the bookshelf. 

“You know how business is.” The American boss grinned knowingly, leaning back in his chair. He was a hefty man, not muscular but fat. He was short, balding, and was known for having a bad reputation with the ladies. Not because he was ugly, per se, Viktor remembers a time many years ago when Tommy had been a really lady-killer, but no; it was because he didn’t take no for an answer. “It’s been some time, Viktor, last time I saw ya’ you were just up to your daddy’s knee.” 

“It has, hasn’t it?” The Russian crossed his legs, right ankle resting across his left thigh. His siblings joined him, Mila to his right, Georgi to his left, hands resting on the back of the chair. 

“I’m sorry about my boys back in Sochi, Vik, y’know I wouldn’t have done anything if I’d known it was your family-“ 

“Please,” Viktor raised a hand, “Water under the bridge.” He leaned forward, propping his elbow on his knee and placing his head on his hand, signature finger to his lips. “Unless our deal today doesn’t go as planned.” 

“Right.” Tommy grin suddenly disappeared, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk. “What was it exactly that you wanted?” 

Viktor grinned wildly. 

“I want everything along the gulf.” 

“The gulf? Your father already took the east coast from me, now you want the Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana territory? Good luck with that, Vik, I can’t help you.” 

“Did I say I wanted just your backwoods redneck towns? No. That wouldn’t do me any good.” Viktor reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, “Do you mind?” 

Tommy shook his head, but his brow was furrowed tightly in frustration, wrinkles deep set in his face. 

“Listen, Thomas,” He lit the smoke and inhaled deeply, handing the carton to Mila so she could take one for herself and Georgi. “I know times are tough, but you should have really thought it through. How fucking stupid can you be? Do you _really_ expect me to believe you didn’t know who you were dealing with when your men called you and said ‘Russians’?” 

Tommy frowned even more, but stayed quiet. 

“What you did cannot be forgiven so easily. I want all of the gulf, and you and your men are going to get it for me.” He leaned back, letting his sister slip the carton of cigs back into his breast pocket over his shoulder.

“That’s ridiculous!” The American slammed his hands down onto the table, “Do you really think the cartel are going to just hand it over on a silver platter? Do you know how much I risk even doing business with them?” 

“Do I look like I give a shit, Saginowski?” Viktor laughed hardily, “You offended me greatly, and I know business is slow for you. I know your allies are starting to turn, and the police are starting to ask more of their bribes.” The Russians lip curled into a dirty smirk, “I know your men are starting to turn on you, too. You’re getting desperate.” 

“I think it’s time for you to go, Korolyov, I can’t offer you anything today.” 

“Korolyov was my father.” Viktor leant the chair back, almost knocking it over if it weren’t for Mila and Georgi there to catch it, and lifted his legs onto the large oak desk. “It’s Nikiforov, like Tatiana Nikiforov.” He pulled the half-gone cigarette from his mouth and snuffed it out on the surface of the desk next to the ashtray. 

“Well then,” Tommy grumbled, “Simon, Tony, please escort Mr. Nikiforov and his associates to the door.” He motioned for the men by the door. 

“That won’t be necessary.” Viktor interjected, but made no move to get up. Instead he pulled a handgun with a silencer from his suit jacket, pointing it straight at the man across from him. 

Suddenly everybody in the room tensed, guns being drawn from every angle and pointing straight at the only Russians in the room. 

“I would ‘a thought your father taught you better.” Tommy grinned, “Pretty stupid of ya’ to pull a gun on me in a room like this.” 

“Oh, he taught me quite a great deal,” Viktor grinned back, arm unwavering, relaxed as ever. “But I’m a self-made man, this is all me.” 

Suddenly, bullets flew through the air, and the American men started dropping like flies before they could even assess the situation. Blood painted the cherry walls an even darker shade with bits of bright pink and white from the brain matter and chunks of skulls adding further decoration. 

It had been precise and planned to every detail. They’d gone over every variation of the ordeal so that nothing would be left out, every turn of events, every unsavoury reaction and man out of place accounted for, but the Americans had practically played into their hands like a hungry rat stealing cheese from a trap. 

The Russians hadn’t moved, but Tommy had. His chubby arms were tight around his face, clutching tightly to the back of his head as if it would stop the bullets. Crimson liquid dripped off his arms, down the gold Rolex on his wrist, all the way down his chubby fingers to his perfectly manicured nails and signature gold engraved ring. He pulled them away slowly, eyes gaping wide in shock. 

Viktor had put his gun away sometime during the assault of bullets, but otherwise was the same. The Russian stood, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping the remnants of the attack off his face, then handed it to his brother. 

“Regardless of whether we did business, this was bound to happen sooner or later.” 

He walked to the edge of the desk, picking up the handgun from earlier and emptying the chambers onto the desk, and then threw it onto the floor behind him. Long legs stepped easily over the body in front of him, making his way to the back of the desk where he could open the drawers on the desk until he could find what he was looking for. 

The American was still in a dazed state of shock, completely oblivious to what was happening as he stared around at the bodies of his men lifeless on the floor lying in pools of their own blood and entrails. 

When Viktor did find what he was looking for he practically squealed in delight, pulling out the case from the drawer and setting it on the table so he could open it up. 

“Good taste, actually.” He nodded approvingly, pulling it out to show his siblings, “It’s actually pretty nice, dah?” 

“A little big.” Georgi pointed out. 

“Think he’s compensating for something?” Mila snickered. 

The letter opener was quite large, made of antique silver with an ingraved handle. Viktor threw it up in his hand, getting a feel for the weight of it, before gripping the handle tightly and spinning on his heels, gripping a hand tight onto the last fading remnants of the American man’s hair. 

“Hold him.” 

Mila and Georgi quickly made their way to each side of the chair, clasping the man’s fat, hairy arms to the chair. 

“You were so close to taking the one good thing in my life away from me,” Viktor said coolly to the man shaking in the chair below him, “You should have known there would be consequences.” 

Tommy started coming back to his senses, shaking even more, quivering under the touch of Mila and Georgi. He started to plea loudly, tears and snot streaming down his face when he realized what was to happen. 

“Oh god, please.” 

Viktor lifted the blade over his eyes. 

**”Please have mercy!”** He became hysterical, thrashing around and kicking out, trying to get free from the chair. “Y-You remember when you was younger, right? W-When you and your dad used to come over and we’d play pool together? I’d let ya’ drink my whisky-“

“I do remember.” Viktor brought the letter opener up to the man’s hairline, letting the cold metal touch his searing hot forehead, “I also remember you groping my mother in front of me while Lev was in the washroom.” The Russian pressed down lightly, letting a couple drops of blood trickle down Tommy’s sweaty forehead and into his eyes. 

“Thomas Saginowski, it really hasn’t been a pleasure doing business with you.” 

The man’s screams were gut wrenching, but Viktor could care less. Using the dull blade, he slowly but surely dug under the thick, leathery skin until he reached the bone underneath, slipping the cool metal under to peel it back. 

He gripped the thin hair tighter as the scalp began to flay, sawing back and forth in quick motions to get the job done before the man passed out from pain. He almost took his love away, he _used_ Yuuri like an object, as if he was worth something like money or jewels. His Yuuri was much more than that, and this man needed to know. He needed to make an example of him. 

The screams stopped when Viktor finished, but the man was still conscious despite the missing scalp. He dropped the severed chunk of skin and letter opener onto the floor and nodded, letting Mila and Georgi know they could let him free. 

Tommy slumped to the ground, snot thick under his nose and chin, mixing with the blood that was running down his face and blinding him from the now open cavity of his head. He was having a fit, convulsing on the ground below the desk like a rabid animal. 

“Take care of this,” Viktor put out a bloody hand to grab his carton of cigarettes he’d given to Mila earlier, “but grab the ring first.” he added, before stepping over the bleeding man so he could exit the room hastily. 

He stopped dead in his tracks when he opened the door. It was funny how negotiating with dangerous people, watching multiple men get brutally murdered in front of him, and scalping a man with a letter opener had little affect on him, but a small brown puppy startled him the most. It was probably because it was so unexpected, such a pure sight in a hard world, kind of like Yuuri. 

And like Yuuri, he couldn’t just leave it here alone.

It was shaking, probably from the loud noise, and yelped when Viktor picked it up. The man cooed quietly to the poodle, holding it tight to his chest in an attempt to calm it.

As he skipped down the steps, frightened dog cradled in his arms, ignoring the loud _bang_ of a Kalashnikov through the closed doors behind him, the weapon of choice of his brother. He pulled out another cigarette, lighting it and looking up to the balcony of the mansion across the street. It was empty, but he knew that the gunman who had assisted them had been there, watching the window to the office and lying in wait for Viktor to give the signal. 

He’d have to thank Otabek for his help later. 

~~~

Luckily for Viktor, they had a change of suits in the car. As stated earlier, he took business _very_ seriously. He’d hate to show up to a meeting with a dirty suit, especially when it was a first time meeting. He’d hate to look unprofessional. 

When they arrived at the warehouse it was bustling with activity. Tommy’s men were emptying bubble-wrapped bricks from the backs of trucks into large shipping crates on cranes. These men were careless, obviously so, since it took them a full two minutes to notice Viktor and his siblings dressed to the nines in jet-black suits, followed by thirty other men and women in the same getup pushing open the doors to the warehouse and standing amidst the action.

The workers all stopped and multiple guns were raised and pointed at the Russian’s, but they stood their ground, unflinching. 

“What are you, feds? How’d you get in here?” 

Viktor looked at the man, then back at the door. 

“From the front door there, perhaps.” He pointed, “And no, we’re not FBI if that’s what you meant.” 

“Well, who the hell are you then?” 

Viktor grinned widely, and Georgi walked up beside him, pulling a hand from his pocket to reveal a handkerchief soaked in blood. He threw it on the ground at the man’s feet. As it hit, it came unravelled, revealing a fat finger with a gold band around it. 

“A message from Mr. Saginowski,” The men began lowering their guns, awestruck and terrified. “He says I’m in charge now.” 

**~Extra~**

_’I’m sure he’s fine.’_ Yuuri reassured himself, _’He’s probably just talking. They’re talking territory disputes. Viktor’s just warning them.’_

It seemed reasonable enough, but Yuuri still couldn’t get the mental image of Viktor out of his head from when he’d walked down the stairs to see him practically decapitate a man on the staircase from pure blunt force. 

Hoping a walk would clear his thoughts he left the hotel an hour earlier, escorted by some of Viktor’s men of course, eager to visit some of the sights. The city was beautiful, and he hadn’t felt this warm in ages, so he was enjoying his time despite the slight disgust he felt from the old memories of this country.

But they didn’t mean anything anymore. This was his life now, not that. His memories were just that- memories. Nothing more. He couldn’t let them control his life or define him anymore.

He let his hands slip into his pockets, grinning to himself. Viktor’s men laid back a bit to look inconspicuous, but he could sense their presence a couple yards behind him still. It was comforting, but he longed for a time where he could just be; nobody around him, nobody keeping an eye on him, just by himself. 

Satisfied from his walk, he headed back to the hotel. It was different from the one they’d stayed at before, but just as nice. Yuuri didn’t think he’d ever get used to these beautiful houses and restaurants and things, it was all still so overwhelming. 

One of Viktor’s men opened the door for him and let him know Viktor had come home while he was out, so he slipped in quietly in case Viktor was sleeping. He did that sometimes after a rough day, and Yuuri had learned the hard way it was better not to disturb him. Cranky Viktor was not good for anybody. 

But when he shut the door behind him, he heard Viktor call his name from the other room, and the sound of running water. He must have been having a shower, so Yuuri got ready to join him. 

Then something else happened. Something weird. 

A small ball covered in soapsuds dashed out of the open bathroom door, launching itself at Yuuri’s legs, soaking his pants. It moved a bit too fast for Yuuri to see at first but then suddenly it barked at him and hopped up on it’s back legs, rubbing up against Yuuri. 

“Ahh, sorry!” Viktor ran into the room after him, sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up past his elbows and wearing just his boxers. “He’s so small and slippery! Come back, please!” He chased the dog into the other room, coming back with it in his arms, soaking his already see-through shirt even more. 

“Who’s this?” 

“He’s- I… I’m not sure.” Viktor scratched under the puppy’s chin, “I’m sorry, Yuuri, but he was all alone today and I couldn’t just leave him!” 

Yuuri didn’t know what to say. Again, Viktor had left him speechless. What do you say in these types of situations, anyway? Yuuri didn’t have the heart to send the dog to the pound, and he couldn’t think of a good reason they shouldn’t keep it.

“He is pretty cute…” He muttered, reaching over and petting the dog’s soggy head. He leaned into the touch, lapping at Yuuri’s wrist. 

“He likes you!” Viktor crowed, “That’s it. You just imprinted on him. He’ll never accept another owner. We have to keep him.” Viktor kissed Yuuri’s forehead before swiftly disappearing into the bathroom with the dog again. 

Yuuri sighed loudly, leaning back against the door with his head in his hands. 

Who the hell was Viktor Nikiforov: cold-blooded killer or actual man-child?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You asked for scalping, you got scalping, and steamy Jacuzzi sex as a bonus. Makka had to have a sad backstory as well, y'know? 
> 
> 'Sympathy For The Devil' is a song that I've been waiting to use for this fic, but I was waiting for the right moment. Then I started planning this chapter and I thought "YES, TED, GENIUS." I feel like this song definitely encompasses Viktor and his life in the Bratva as a whole.
> 
> Also, I got the American boss' name from the legendary Tom Hardy and his character in the movie 'The Drop', Bob Saginowski (who gets an abused puppy in the movie. Tom Hardy and a puppy. When I first watched it my cold, dead, gay, fourteen-year-old boy heart beat for the very first time. Watch the movie.) It's one of the greatest gangster movies of the past decade, I assure you, and I always feel like I should pay tribute to some of the greats, so this might be a theme throughout the fic.
> 
> 'Po’shyol ‘na hui' is Russian for like 'Fuck You' (Shoutout to my only Russki friend, Sky, for telling me.)


	12. Wouldn't It Be Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' by The Beach Boys.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long and emotional, but it is important to move forward in the story, I assure you.
> 
> Also, I cried writing it lmao 
> 
> Sorry this took so long. I've had to rewrite it a few times, and I had some other things to do.

It was humid as all hell in the warehouse, but the men were working diligently, coating materials in saran-wrap and duct tape and stacking them carefully into the large steel shipping creates. The manager watched it all happen, and glared at Viktor as he picked up the wrapped brick, tossing it up once and catching it, then throwing one over to Georgi.

“How much is this?”

“About five kilos.”

The eldest Russian looked to his brother, but Georgi just shrugged and tossed it back onto the belt.

“They feel a bit light to me. How much in the total shipment to Morocco?”

“It’s hash, not gold.” The American spat through gritted teeth, “About two point five million in all.”

“Wow,” Viktor smiled widely, “It might as well be gold, considering how much we’re going to make on it.” He patted one of the bricks, “Maybe you should try some, Georgi, do a little quality control before it ships out. I don’t know much about this American shit.”

“Perhaps I should.” The middle child stepped up to the belt and picked up an unfinished bind, “Can’t be too careful.”

“Forgive me for being so bold, sir,” The manager plastered on a forced smile, “But change in management wont affect our wages, will it?”

“No, no, friend, nothing of that sort.” Viktor chuckled, wrapping an arm around the man’s shoulders and pulling him close, “But if you’re going to ask, show me your true feelings.” He leaned in close, breath hot on the man’s face. “I don’t take that fake shit.”

~~~

Last night when Viktor had finished bathing the puppy, they went out again to one of the pet stores down the street to get supplies. Viktor insisted one of his men could do it, but Yuuri countered, saying if they were going to keep the dog he’d like to have a say in what he wore and ate.

Viktor held up a large, studded black leather collar, smiling goofily.

“He’s a poodle, not a Rottweiler.” Yuuri frowned, “Besides, it’s way too big, he’ll never fit in that.”

“Ooh, Yuuri,” Viktor draped himself over the boy’s shoulders as he sorted through different brands of food, “Who said it was for the dog?”

The look he earned was less than impressed.

They walked to the till and bought their things, settling on a soft bed, a couple squeaky toys, some puppy food, and a pastel blue collar with little doodles of dogs on it and a matching leash.

That’s what he was wearing now, the collar and the leash. The tiny puppy practically dragged Yuuri down the hot Santa Fe sidewalk, ignoring Yuuri’s please for him to stop. Eventually it became too hot for his paws, so the Japanese man picked him up to carry him, glad that miniature poodles were so light.

Viktor had left him with a credit card and a note that said to tell the men at the hotel he was leaving, and Viktor would be home later. Yuuri finally managed to leave by himself, asking Viktor’s men to stay behind, and it felt good. He’d already bought himself lunch from a small burger joint down the street from the hotel that allowed dogs, relishing in the taste of an authentic American burger. Other than that he hadn’t bought anything at all, even though he knew Viktor wouldn’t mind. He left the card there on purpose, but it felt wrong to use his money like that. Yuuri rarely splurged on himself, it was always Viktor who spoiled him.

Although, he did consider buying something from the market venders that were set up just outside the main shopping district. There was lots of cheap bead jewellery, airbrushed t-shirts with _I Love Santa Fe_ across the front, and tacky key chains and license plate frames with weird sayings and play on words in Spanish that he didn’t understand. It was still nice to take in the familiar scene, though, some of the artists works were very beautiful, and a lot of the jewellery, despite being cheap, was actually quite nice to look at.

He stopped when he got to a rather distinct looking vendor. The woman behind the table was old, much older than Lilia, but with extremely tanned skin with deep-set wrinkles and bright white hair. Yuuri approached the vendor slowly, holding the poodle against his chest as he peered into the boxes set up on the table.

The necklaces and earrings were made of what looked like crystals and different precious and semi-precious stones, but Yuuri couldn’t tell if they were real. They were pretty regardless, even if Yuuri wasn’t one for jewellery. The main thing that caught his eye, though, was a row of different coloured rings. They looked to be of many different types of metals, blackened steel, rose gold, sterling silver, all spotless in their casing, glinting against the high afternoon sun. It was the gold one that he was focused on, and he couldn’t help but reach out to touch it. What if he did start wearing jewellery? What if he got his ears pierced like Viktor had? When Viktor sobered up, he’d told Yuuri that he had his pierced at one point in time before, and while he was high Michele reminded him and they’d poked the earrings through. Despite the negative feelings that came with it, he still liked the earrings on Viktor, especially when he wore the small gold rings. They made him look tough. Yuuri was never one for toughness, though.

But what about a ring?

What if he proposed to Viktor? 

Would he wear a matching one?

“Find something you like?”

His hand snapped back to his chest, playing it off like he was rubbing the poodle’s ears.

“T-They’re very beautiful,” He stammered to the woman, “Do you make them yourself?”

“My grandson does the work with the metals, but I do all the threading.” Her accent was thick and would have been hard to understand if Yuuri hadn’t spent his middle school and high school years here. “Are you looking at anything in particular?” She stood slowly with the help of a cane, leaning over to look at what Yuuri was so transfixed on. “Ah, thinking of tying the knot?”

“Not quite yet,” Yuuri laughed shyly, “But it’s a nice thought.” The woman nodded understandingly.

“How old are you, son?”

“Seventeen.”

Her eyes widened, and she looked like she was about to yell at Yuuri.

“What did you do?” She raised her voice, “Is she pregnant or something?”

“No! No,” Yuuri raised his free hand that wasn’t holding the puppy, “Nothing like that!” A blush was slowly creeping across his noise and cheeks, and he couldn’t blame the noonday sun. “It’s just… my first serious relationship. We’re very in love.”

“Ah,” she relaxed back into her seat, “You’re young, dear, I think you shouldn’t be worrying about things like that.” Yuuri nodded, understanding where she was coming from. “I rushed into marriage too. I was eighteen, and he promised me a good life in America, but when I became pregnant with my son he disappeared. I haven’t heard from him since.” She pointed at Yuuri, “At my age any day could be your last, and while I don’t resent my son or grandchildren I do regret the years I wasted on his good for nothing father.”

Yuuri almost laughed, but thought better of it. This woman was obviously wise, the wrinkles on her face told stories that Yuuri wouldn’t experience for quite some time, but she didn’t know Yuuri, and she sure as hell didn’t know Viktor.

“Thank you, miss.” The dog in his arms started becoming restless, wriggling so Yuuri would set him down, “I appreciate the advice, but this is my first and last love; I’m sure of it.”

She didn’t get mad again, just smiled and nodded knowingly at the young man.

“When you know, you know. I hope she treats you well, son.”

He set the puppy down and thanked the woman, letting her know that he would be back in the future for sure. She told him she hoped not to see him too soon, and he just laughed and waved goodbye, making his way down the street again, poodle tugging giddily at the leash.

He decided he would head back to the hotel soon, have a cold shower, and finish some homework, but he could make one more stop. There was an ice cream truck set up just down the street from where he was back in high school, and he had been wondering ever since the plane landed if it was still there. Sure enough, it was, so he sent a quick text to the driver telling him where he was so he could get picked up.  
The man behind the counter didn’t recognize Yuuri even though Yuuri recognized him, but he didn’t blame him. Yuuri was, after all, plain as they come.

Somebody else did recognize him, though, and as he took a lick of his cookie dough ice cream a hand slammed down on his shoulder, making electric jolts of fear shoot up his spine. He dropped his cone and almost dropped the puppy when he jumped and spun around.

“Yuuri, is that you?” The voice was different than he remembered, but he knew right away.

“P-Phichit,” The boy had pulled back and was looking Yuuri up and down like he couldn’t believe he was here, “W-What are you doing here?”

“Uh, I live here?” He crossed his arms, “What are you doing here is more like it! Where’ve you been? You come to school halfway through eighth grade and leave at he beginning of Junior year! It was like you dropped off the face of the planet!”

“Y-Yeah, I’m-“ He sighed deeply, “I’m sorry, Phichit, I know it must be weird. I…” He squinted his eyes, trying to think of an explanation, “I had to move… for school.”

“Makes sense,” The Thai boy didn’t press further, “Sorry, about that, Yuuri, it’s just- you were my best friend, then suddenly you were gone! Not even the teachers knew what to tell us.”

Yuuri stared at the ground, rubbing the back of his head.

“Yeah. Yup. It was all pretty sudden.” The dog barked at something over Phichit’s shoulder, making Yuuri lose focus. Suddenly he saw it, a group of boys standing around the picnic bench on the other side of the park, eating ice cream, but there was only one he recognized right away. How could he miss him, really?

“Is that… Kenjirou?”

“Yup!” Phichit pulled out his wallet, “Are you in a rush? It’s been so long, I’m sure everybody misses you, come catch up with us!”

Yuuri must have looked hesitant, pulling the puppy a little closer to his body.

“I’ll buy you another ice cream?”

He chuckled, putting the poodle back on the ground.

“Sure, why not?”

~~~

“OH MY GOD, YUURI!” Minami shrieked, “Your puppy is so cute! What’s his name?”

“He doesn’t have a name yet.” Yuuri dropped the spoon in his empty ice cream cup. “We just got him yesterday.”

“We?” Phichit raised an eyebrow at him, and Yuuri cursed himself for letting it slip out like that. It was nice getting to catch up with some old friends, but Yuuri really wasn’t in the mood to explain what kind of complicated situation he was in.

“Yes. My uh- My family. He’s our new family dog. We’re here on… business and found him at the pound, had to bring him home.” Phichit didn’t look like he believed him, but didn’t say anything, and Minami was too busy spoiling the small poodle with affections to notice.

“You don’t sound so sure,” The Thai boy chuckled, “How is your family, anyway? Is it your adopted family?” He licked a bit of strawberry ice cream from his fingers.

“I guess you could say that.”

“What about your sister, huh? Where’s she at?” Takeshi bumped him with his elbow, “She was kind of hot.”

“I-I don’t really know.” Yuuri sputtered, “I haven’t talk to her for a long time. We got separated when I moved to my last foster home, I haven’t talked to her since.”

“I’ve talked to her.” Phichit set his empty cone down on the table, “She was so worried about you, so was I, and after you disappeared she got a hold of me, told me to hit her up if I ever heard anything. We still talk sometimes.”

Yuuri bit his lip and shook his head.

“Please don’t tell her I’m here. Is she still in New Mexico? Is she okay?”

“She is.” Phichit nodded, “Just broke up with her boyfriend from college, though, but she stuck around. I don’t think she could’ve left knowing you might’ve still been here.”

“Why don’t you want to see her?” The boy on the other side of the table beside Phichit asked. Yuuri had only met him a few times in school, but they weren’t quite close, he did remember his name was Camille.

“I don’t even know where to start!” He put his head in his hands, “Some things happened, in the foster home and out, and I’m not ready to tell anybody. I’m not ready to face her yet.”

“She’d probably really appreciate it, Yuuri.” Takeshi stuck his tongue out and licked the chocolate ice cream from the corner of his mouth, “I don’t have any siblings, but I know I feel better when Yuuko tells me what’s on her mind.” Yuuri nodded understandingly whilst letting the memories from school flood back to his mind. These were some of his best friends from school, and he met them during his time in the English-Learning program. Those were his only good memories from his time at school.

“How is Yuuko? I really miss you guys.”

“She’s good, actually,” He held up his hand, showing Yuuri the band around his ring finger, “I just proposed last week.”

“Takeshi, that’s awesome!” He grabbed at the man’s hand, examining it, “Congratulations!”

“Thanks, Yuuri,” He let the boy ogle over his ring, “But you never really did tell us, how are you doing now?”

And for the first time in years, Yuuri could answer genuinely.

“Really well!” He was beaming in his seat, “Awesome, actually, I’ve never been better. I live in St. Petersburg now, it’s really different from Santa Fe, but it’s grown on me.”  
on me.”

“Wait,” Minami stopped playing with the dog and raised an eyebrow, “St. Petersburg in Russia?”

“Yeah, that’s where my family is from.”

“That’s so good, Yuuri!” Phichit shot a genuine smile at him, “I’m glad you’re happy. You were always so quiet in school.”

“Yeah, Yuuri, you were a real loser!” Takeshi laughed hardily and slapped him on the back, “And what about the babes there, Yuuri, anybody in particular you got your eyes on?”

“Actually there is one.”

“Is it serious?” Minami asked around the straw of his milkshake.

“Pretty serious.” Yuuri nodded, “I’m really happy.”

“I’m proud of you, Yuuri, you’ve really opened up. What’s your phone number now, if you don’t mind?”

They all exchanged numbers and social media, not that Yuuri had any but he took it anyway. He’d like to see what his friends had been up to while he was gone. They talked a bit more till the sun was hanging low in the sky. It was nice to see how they were doing, he found it difficult to think about his past, even the good things, but his mind often wandered to his friends, especially Phichit, and what they were up to.

Suddenly, a loud engine interrupted their conversation, pulling up on the curb and grumbling down to a low roar as the driver stopped. Yuuri would have recognized that bright pink Cadillac anywhere, even if the roof was up and he wasn’t blinded by his boyfriend’s expensive glasses and bright blond hair. He stood quickly and picked the poodle off the ground, stepping off the picnic bench as Viktor got out of the front seat and skipped the passenger door, swinging it open for Yuuri.

“Hope you don’t mind,” He beamed over at Yuuri, “I was just on my way home, I thought we could go for dinner.”

“I’d love to.” The boy smiled back, quickly turning to his friends. “I’ll call you guys!”

None of them made an effort to move except for raising a limp hand to quietly wave goodbye, dumbstruck by the handsome, well-dressed man with an accent and a bright pink Caddy who had just opened the door for Yuuri like a servant.

Minami made a shocked noise as the taller man caught Yuuri before he could sit down in the seat, wrapping his arms around him and gracefully dipping him low to catch him in a passionate kiss. Yuuri didn’t even react except for a laugh and a hand that made it’s way up to the man’s cheek as he returned the kiss. He didn’t even make a move to catch himself, like this happened every day.

Then the man spun him back, kissing him once more before letting him in and shutting the door behind him. He skipped back to the driver’s side, not bothering to open the door, just vaulting himself over it and right into the seat.

Then they drove off, leaving the four boys dumbstruck on the picnic table behind them, ice cream melting onto their hands and laps but that was the least of their worries right now.

“Came here with his family, my ass.” Takeshi grumbled under his breath, wiping the dripping cream from his hand.

“I thought he was in a serious relationship.” Minami frowned, “Yuuri’s really changed.”

“Kenjirou, that’s obviously who he was talking about.”

“Oh…” The younger boy shut his mouth, blushing slightly as he looked away.

“Who would have thought, eh? Ol’ Katsuki’s got a sugar daddy.”

“You don’t know that!” Camille interjected, “Maybe that’s his step dad… maybe that’s just how Russian’s are?” The other boys shot him a look, “I don’t know, I’ve never met a Russian!”

“Did you see his get up? The earrings and the expensive outfit, and that fucking car. He’s obviously a sugar daddy.”

“I’m kinda with Camille on this one, I don’t think Yuuri would have a sugar daddy. That’s probably just his brother or something.”

“Uhm excuse me, McNugget, do you kiss your little sister like that?”

Minami shrunk back, sucking hard at the last remnants of his milkshake.

“That’s what I thought.”

Phichit stayed quiet, running over the situation in his head over and over. Yuuri said some things happened, did he mean money? Did he not want to share whatever he had with that man with Mari? Why did he lie about coming here with his family? He’d have to find out.

’I hope you know what you’re doing, Yuuri.’

~~~

“Who was that, Yuuri?” Viktor had asked when they got in the car. At first Yuuri thought he was mad, but when he looked at his face Viktor was calm with a goofy smile still plastered across his face.

“Friends from school.” He explained, “They recognized me and asked to catch up. Sorry if I was taking too long.”

“Not at all.” Viktor grabbed the boy’s hand and brought it to his lips, “I’m sorry if I interrupted you.” He let their hands rest on Yuuri’s thigh, other low on the steering wheel. It was strange seeing him drive again, the last time being when he had picked Yuuri up from Alexei’s, but it looked right; like he belonged there. The Russian had traded in his well-cut black suit for a loose, white, collared button-up, and tight-fitting black jeans. If it weren’t for the Gucci sunglasses and gold Rolex and diamond earrings, he might have blended in; just a handsome stranger coming to visit Santa Fe on his vacation.

“Where are we going tonight?”

“It’s really up to you.” Viktor turned onto the main road, “But I thought we could go to that Japanese food place. You know, the one with the katsudon?”

“Could we?” Yuuri’s face lit up, and he gripped Viktor’s hand a little tighter.

“It would be my pleasure.” The older man smiled back, look of adoration adamant through the sunglasses.

~~~

The restaurant was a bit obscure in where it sat so Yuuri had never been to it, but it was obviously well-loved by the locals because there was very limited seating available. They had to wait ten minutes before they could be seated, Yuuri having to convince Viktor not to bribe the hostess the entire time.

When they sat down Viktor insisted Yuuri order for them. He wanted the full experience, with no corners cut. The boy laughed and asked for two pork cutlet bowls and some different types of sashimi Viktor didn’t quite catch.

“We need to name the dog.” Yuuri said as their tea arrived, “My friends were asking for his name and I didn’t have one.”

“Hmm.” Viktor tapped his finger to his lips, thinking hard. “What about… Boris? There was a show I watched when I was younger about a dog named Boris.” Yuuri paused mid-sip and glared at Viktor over the edge of the cup.

“Viktor, Boris isn’t really a name for a miniature poodle.”

“I thought it would be funny! It’s better than calling it _fluffy_ or _chocolate.”_

“Okay, so, something not too… strange but also unique?” Their sashimi arrived, interrupting them, and they said a quick thanks before going back to their conversation. “I’ve never been good with names…”

“What about ‘Makkachin’?”

“What does that mean?”

“Like _Mokachchino,_ mocha, but a little more… personalized if that makes sense?” 

Yuuri nodded, deep in thought.

“I like that.” He said finally, “It’s cute, and he is brown.”

Viktor sighed loudly.

“Well, I _am_ a genius.” Yuuri glared at him again, but he just laughed. “I’ll be back in a moment, I just have to use the washroom.” He leaned forward as he stood, pressing a quick peck to Yuuri’s forehead before disappearing.

But that’s not all he did. Yuuri could see him speaking to the hostess on the other side of the restaurant, whispering close to her ear, before she nodded and he actually headed to the bathroom.

When he returned, all the food was there.

”Vkusno!” He exclaimed loudly, startling the patrons beside them. “This looks delicious!”

But Yuuri didn’t laugh. His back was straight and his arms were crossed tight against his chest, mouth pressed firmly into a line.

“What did you say to the hostess?”

“I went to the washroom.”

“The washroom is that way,” He threw a thumb over his shoulder, “I saw the sign when we walked in. You walked that way, and came back from the washroom. _What did you say to the hostess?”_

Viktor crossed his arms too, throwing his nose in the air.

“I can’t believe my Yuuri would accuse me of lying like that!” He pouted, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Warm Sake?” The waiter asked, placing cups on the table in front of them and a fresh bottle of the warm alcohol.

“Wow!” Viktor placed a hand on his mouth, feigning surprise. “A complimentary bottle of Sake! I had no idea! Yuuri, do you like Sake?”

“Oh, please,” Yuuri laughed, pouring Viktor a mug, “You’re such a goof. How did you manage this?”

“You don’t have to know.” Viktor winked, and picked up the mug, waiting for Yuuri to fill his own.

“Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t.” He chuckled, lifting the glass up. “To us, then?”

“To us.” Viktor held his mug up, ceramic coming together to make a soft clink. 

They both downed it in one gulp, emptying their cups and putting them back down on the table. 

“That was…” Viktor stared down at the mug, lips pursed and brow furrowed, “Not what I expected.” 

“But did you like it?” Yuuri laughed at the expression on his boyfriend’s face.

“It was delicious! Just… different.” 

They sipped their drinks now instead of chugging them, enjoying small talk over their food. It quieted near the end, and the memories from earlier that day came back to Yuuri suddenly. 

“Hey, Viktor?” He asked, finishing his last morsel of pork. 

“Yes, my love?” 

“I just-“ He sighed, “Never mind. It’s dumb, just forget about it.” 

“Yu-uri,” Viktor frowned, “Nothing you say could ever sound dumb. What is it?” 

“Alright, just promise you won’t get mad.” Viktor nodded, “You know I love you, right?” 

The blond began bristling, shoulders tense and eyes wide in horror. 

“I’m not- I’m not going to break up with you! Calm down, Viktor, please!” He did calm, but not completely. “Just- When I was downtown today and talking with friends, it had me thinking about the future a lot. You’re the love of my life, but I can’t help but feel you’re keeping me around until I stop being of use to you. Do you see a future with me like I do you?” 

He’d done it now. Viktor looked like he was about to cry.

 _“How could you say something like that…”_ Viktor whispered under his breath, glossy blue eyes staring down at the table. 

“It was nothing you did.” Yuuri reached across the table to cup Viktor’s face in his hand, “Don’t _ever_ think that you did something to make me feel that way, it’s my fault. I just can’t believe somebody as amazing and handsome as you would ever feel anything for somebody like me…” Yuuri ran his thumb across his high cheekbone to wipe the tear that fell down Viktor’s face away. 

“It hurts me to hear you say that, Yuuri.” He reached his hand up to grab the boy’s hand in his, but he didn’t look at him, he just stared down at the table. “All I can think about, night and day, is a future with you. I had a dream just the other day, and it was about you, like they usually are nowadays. We lived in a little house in a quiet neighbourhood with a big dog that the neighbour’s kids climb all over and harass when they come over for barbecues. You cooked us dinner and I cleaned up after, and there was no men in suits or guns taped to the undersides of tables, we just lived and we didn’t fear that one day we would be taken from each other.” Yuuri could feel himself tearing up now, “Mila, Georgi, and Yuri were there too. They brought their spouses over with dessert, and we talked and caught up over wine. Everybody teased Yuri, and he teased back, but he was happy – we were all happy.” His eyes moved from the table to Yuuri’s tear-stained cheeks but he continued. 

“In my dream, nobody cared that we were queer, or that we were ten years apart in age, or about our past, and nobody asked where we came from or what we used to do.” He squeezed Yuuri’s hand a little tighter, “At the end of the day we went to bed, and there was a ring on my finger. There was one on yours too, which is important, but mine was especially important because you put it there. Do you understand?” The boy nodded, not breaking eye contact.

“When I use to dream, it was always a nightmare. The same nightmare over and over, and I couldn’t ever wake myself up. But now you’re there, and when I open my eyes you’re there too, and every day feels like a dream.” He pulled Yuuri’s hand away to kiss it, closing his eyes tight to try and stop the tears from flowing. “I know I can’t give you that white picket fence life that we both want _but I can try._ I swear I can give you anything and everything you want, Yuuri, _I just want you to be happy.”_

Yuuri didn’t reply, he just started crying harder and stepped around the table to sit across Viktor’s lap, wrapping his arms tightly around the man’s shoulders and tucking his face into his neck.

 _“You’re enough,”_ He muttered between sobs, _“You were always enough for me.”_

Viktor returned the embrace, and they sat their for a while, just crying. You could blame the hysterics on the half empty bottle of alcohol in front of them, but it had only been a bit more full when they got it. The other patrons could stare all they wanted, though, it didn’t matter to them; it never did. If Viktor had his way, he’d broadcast his love for Yuuri all over the world, so everybody knew how much he loved him, and that Yuuri had picked him and him alone. For Yuuri, it was different but meant all the same. He wanted Viktor all to himself, and if they could live on a planet with nobody else that would be quite alright with him.

“I love you so much.” Viktor whispered, pulling away and leaving a kiss on his tear-stained face. “I promise one day you’ll have that ring on your finger.”

Yuuri just nodded, leaning in to catch Viktor’s mouth again and pull him back close against his body. They went home shortly after, blushing sweetly, but there was no alcohol to blame. Viktor opened Yuuri’s door like he always did, rested his hand on Yuuri’s knee like he always had, and everything was right in the world.

Things were looking up.

~~~

The next day, Yuuri was on top of the world. They went home, took a shower together, and slept long, longer than they had in a long time. Yuuri even woke before Viktor, and was able to give him a personal wake up call that had him waking the neighbours and earning them a noise complaint.

Breakfast arrived for them, simple and delicious blueberry pancakes and sausage with maple syrup. They ate on the couch in front of the TV in their pyjamas, watching reruns of old cartoons they remembered from years back.

When Viktor left, Yuuri gave him another personal goodbye against the wall beside the front door. No doubt his men on the other side heard the ruckus, but they would never dare to comment about it. They knew better.

Then he took Makkachin downtown again and met with Phichit for lunch. Meeting with the others had been nice, but he felt like he didn’t have enough time to fully catch up with his best friend. They met at an Indian restaurant they both frequented in high school; the managers even recognized them and gave them their meal on the house. They said their goodbyes and Yuuri promised to visit with all of the gang again at least once before he left.

Then he stopped by the pet store to get some engraved dog tags for Makkachin, one with his name and another with both Yuuri and Viktor’s numbers. The little poodle didn’t understand, obviously, but he was excited nonetheless when Yuuri had kneeled down and attached them to his collar.

They jingled as the dog pranced down the sidewalk that was cooling in the dim evening light. The days were getting longer now but it was still cool enough for Yuuri to wear one of Viktor’s light sweaters and some jeans.

It was when Makkachin stopped to sniff a bush that he heard footsteps behind him come to an abrupt halt. Yuuri started walking again, as did Makka, and the footsteps continued. He knew then that he was being followed, and really regretted telling Viktor’s men to stay at home.

It was getting dark out and he was still a few blocks from the hotel. Fewer people were out in this area, and he could almost feel the presence of another person getting closer and closer to him.

In a fit of panic, he shot into an alleyway in hopes it would take him to his destination faster.

But then a figure blocked the other side of the alley, and the footfalls behind him started coming closer and closer. All he could do before hands were on him was let the leash go in hopes that Makkachin found somewhere safe.

~~~

To say Yuuri was scared would be an understatement.

Scratch that; to say Yuuri was _terrified_ would still not cut it.

When he woke up it was in a completely new room. Slow at first, then all at once. His eyelids were heavy with sleep, and all the noise sounded distant and his eyelashes obscured the room.

Then the smell of chemicals hit him in the face like a brick and the steady beeping of a machine sounded was so loud it hurt. His eyes shot open, taking in the tiled floors and scratchy white bed sheets, and suddenly he was back at Alexei’s. Had it all been a dream? He snapped up in bed, but winced as there was an incredible pain in his abdomen, making him panic even more.

“Yuuri,” A voice called to him, but he didn’t look. “Yuuri, everything is okay.”

His head snapped to the right when a hand landed on his shoulder, and if he had been confused then he was definitely confused now.

“M-Mari?” He stammered, eyes blown wide and chest heaving.

“Yuuri, please calm down.” She was standing beside him, trying to get him to lie back. “I can’t talk to you if you’re having one of your episodes.”

He nodded, closing his eyes and letting himself fall down into the pillow, but it was difficult. How could he relax? He opened his eyes again and watched her pick up her book she must have dropped on the floor when she stood. Mari looked much different than he remembered. She had blonde tips now, and lots of ear piercings, and although her accent had faded it was still prominent, unlike Yuuri who had lost what was left of his.

“You were found in an alley just off King Boulevard and Main. You were beaten, Yuuri, and stabbed.”

Yuuri just kept staring. He didn’t reply, just stared at his sister like she had appeared out of thin air.

“Do you remember, Yuuri?”

“I… I was walking Makkachin. Where’s my dog? Did they-“

“No, Yuuri,” She cut in before the boy could panic furthur, “Your dog is fine, he’s just at the shelter right now. They’re holding him until you come pick him up.”

Yuuri relaxed a bit, but not much, relieved that he’d thought to buy a tag for Makkachin when he did.

“And… why are you here?”

“Because I’m your only living next of kin on your records.”

“Oh, that makes sense I guess…” She nodded; arms crossed leaning back in the chair.

“Now it’s my turn. Where the hell have you been?”

“I-I live in Russia.” Her eyes shot open wide, “That’s where my family is.”

“But you didn’t think to call me? Not once? Even though you were coming back to Santa Fe I had to find out you were even still alive through you getting stabbed? What the hell, Yuuri-“

“I know,” He visibly flinched, “I know it was shitty of me, but if you knew…” Yuuri broke off, unable to finish.

“If I knew what, Yuuri? How well off you had it? What the fuck are you doing with a wallet full of credit cards and cash walking by yourself in the streets of Santa Fe? It’s a miracle they didn’t steal it-“

“They didn’t steal my wallet?” Mari gaped at him.

“No they didn’t take your _fucking wallet_ , you lucky son of a bitch! Why is that-“

“Mari, they didn’t take _anything?”_

She was fuming now, unable to form a coherent sentence.

“No, Yuuri, they didn’t. They beat you to shit, and stabbed you, but _heaven forbid they take your Black Card.”_

Yuuri should have freaked out. He hadn’t seen or talked to his sister in two years except all he could think about was Viktor. Did Viktor know where he was? Was he looking for him?

How would he react when he found out the other side knew about Yuuri, and involved him in their business.

“You’ve changed.” Mari sunk back into her chair.

“It’s not like that!” Yuuri tried sitting up again, but his stomach reminded him that he really should stop doing that. “It’s- I- Ugh…” He hid his face in his hands, trying to hold back the tears.

“I’ll wait here all night. I have all the time in the world.”

“Please try to let me finish when I start talking, because if I tell you I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”

She made a noise of acknowledgement but didn’t trust herself not to snap at her brother again.

“When I left you at the group home, my foster parents were not very kind to me, so I ran away. That was the first time I made the decision not to call you. You had one year left in the system and I thought I could get along on my own without adding stress on you.” She was dead silent as he continued, “I met a man who told me I could have a job with him. It was a live-in job that came with food, and money, and I’d finally have my own room, which sounded like a pretty good deal at the time.” He chuckled darkly, “Then I found out it was not anything like he had promised, and I couldn’t get out, I was stuck there. That was the second time I decided not to try and get in contact with you. He was a very dangerous man, and if I tried to leave he’d hurt me.”

Yuuri stole a glance over to his sister. There was a tear slipping down her face and the corners of her mouth were tugged down but he continued.

“I was going to kill myself, then one day somebody shows up. They tell me I could have everything I ever wanted and that I could be happy with them. I didn’t believe it at first, but then I came to find I was really happy. Happier than I’d been in years.” Yuuri could feel hot tears falling down his face now, too, but he wasn’t really crying. “I wanted to leave the past behind because I was ashamed. Ashamed I didn’t do more for you or myself, ashamed that I had been so dumb. I’m so sorry, neesan.” 

Suddenly Mari was out of her seat and in his arms, hiding her face in his neck.  
“Yuuri, how could you? How could you be so selfless?” She cried, “I’m sorry I let them take you away…”

“It’s alright,” He reassured her, “I just don’t know if I’m sorry, though.”

“You don’t need to be.” Mari shook her head, “You can be selfish. Please, you deserve to be selfish for once in your life.”

He nodded, smiling a bittersweet smile at her.

“So, tell me about your life now.”

They spoke for a bit, and did it ever feel good. Yuuri learned that Mari was in college, she was going to become a hairdresser, and that her boyfriend recently dumped her, like Phichit had said. He soaked up all of the information, every detail, like it was water and he’d been crawling through the desert for weeks. To some it might have seemed mundane, but to Yuuri it was the best story he’d ever heard.

Suddenly, the door burst open, making them both jump.

 _“Solnyshko!”_ Viktor practically launched himself into the bed, careful of Yuuri but still jarring him nonetheless. “I just got a call from the animal shelter telling me they had Makkachin and that they couldn’t get a hold of you because you were in the hospital! Are you hurt? Did they hurt you? Who hurt you, Yuuri, tell me!” The Russian was speaking a mile a minute, not stopping for breath between his assault of questions. His knees were on either side of Yuuri’s legs and his hands cupped the boys face tightly, checking him all over for any sign of abuse. The older man was frowning firmly, running his thumbs gently over Yuuri’s black eye and busted lip.

“I-It was just a mugging! I’m fine, Viktor, really.”

 _“Bullshit!_ Look at your beautiful face! Where else did they hurt you?”

“Just… don’t freak out, okay?”

Viktor’s brow furrowed and he bit his lip, but nodded. He watched Yuuri lift the hospital gown out from under the blankets and over his stomach, revealing a large bandage taped to his stomach.

_“Someone is going to die.”_

“Viktor!” Yuuri hid his face behind his hands again, letting his head fall back on the pillows.

“When I found out who did this, there’ll be hell to pay.” Blue eyes filled with rage, making the man in Yuuri’s hospital bed almost unrecognizable. “I’m going to find them and cut their limbs off one by one in front of their family and-“

Mari cleared her throat, making Yuuri and Viktor’s heads snapped towards her.

“Uh, who are you?”

Viktor sunk into Yuuri, pulling himself closer but avoiding the wound on his stomach.

“Who are _you_?”

“I asked first I think-“

“Well you may _think,_ but-“

“Both of you please shut up.” Yuuri interjected, “Viktor this is Mari, my sister. Mari, this is… Viktor.”

The Russian shot Yuuri a look, but didn’t say anything. He composed himself, got off Yuuri, and stuck out a hand.

“Viktor Nikiforov, pleasure to meet your acquaintance.”

“Likewise,” Mari gripped his hand firmly and shook, “Mari Katsuki.”

Then her face changed. She looked from Yuuri, to Viktor, then back, and grinned slyly, like she knew something he didn’t.

 _”Is this the ‘somebody’ from your story?”_ She said in Japanese.

“Mari, please…” Yuuri groaned, once again hiding his head in his hands.

_”He’s very pretty, Yuuri, you got lucky.”_

“Mari-”

_”How did cute little Yuuri ever catch a silver fox like this?”_

“Yuuri, what is she saying?” Viktor laughed, trying to pry Yuuri’s hands from his face.

“She’s being mean!”

“I would never!” Mari stood from her chair, “I should head out. I missed work so I should probably go explain myself to my boss so I don’t get fired.” She turned to Viktor, “Please take care of him.”

“I will. I promise.”

“I left my number in your phone, Yuuri,” She stopped in the doorway, “Please don’t be a stranger. I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Mari.”

She nodded, and with that, she was gone.

“Oh, my Yuuri…” Viktor carefully got back onto the hospital bed, lying at Yuuri’s uninjured side. “How could I ever let this happen to you… I’ll catch those bastards, I promise.”

“Viktor,”

“And my men, too, I should have made sure Mikhail was watching you.”

“Viktor.”

“I wanted you to feel like you have freedom, but these Americans can’t be-“

 _“Vicchan.”_ Viktor stopped, lifting his head to look at Yuuri. “I have to tell you something. It’s important, but I need you to stay calm again. Promise me.”

Viktor nodded, but Yuuri shook his head.

“Say you promise.”

“I promise, Yuuri, what the hell happened?”

“They didn’t take anything from me.”

Viktor bit his lip.

“Yeah? But they hurt you, so-“

“Viktor. They didn’t take anything. Not a single thing.”

Suddenly it all clicked into place for Viktor. Yuuri could see the gears turning in the man’s head, and the bloodthirsty look in his eyes like he was ready to throw down at any moment. His entire body tensed and he straightened against Yuuri, but he still held him close.

“Were they American?”

Yuuri nodded, shrinking in on himself.

“I’m going to fucking kill them.” His words were violent and the look in his eyes animalistic, but his face was completely calm.

_“This is the last time one of them fucks with my family.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BABY PHICHIT <3 
> 
> What do you think is going to happen next? Chapter 13 is already written so I just need to beta it, but what are your head canons for it? Let me know!


	13. Stuck In The Middle With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Stuck In The Middle With You' by Steelers Wheel.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have anything to say.
> 
> You're going to yell at me.

"What’s this all about?” One of the workers groaned to another. Mila was in charge of supervision that night, since they were just about to ship out, when suddenly she got a rushed phone call from Viktor sounding rather pissed, telling her he was on his way and to get all of the American’s to stop what they were doing. 

“I don’t know, but it must be pretty important. My brother is absolutely fuming, which means one of you fucked up pretty badly.” 

“The blond one is your brother?” Another yelled to her, “He’s a real nut job, that one.” 

“Oh, I know.” Mila grinned at him, “But believe me, honey, you haven’t seen anything yet.” 

Viktor burst through the large warehouse doors, Georgi and a few other men trailing close behind. He was wearing normal civilian clothes, despite everybody else wearing their signature black getup. He waltzed up to the men lined up in front of the machines and stopped, arms crossed, foot tapping the floor. He looked the line up and down, from left to right, room completely silent for a few moments. 

“Excuse me, sir, the shipment is due for-“ 

“I know when the shipment is due.” Viktor stated calmly, “Speak when spoken to, please.” 

The man slipped back into line, head bowed and eyes wide in fear. 

“We have ourselves a little predicament, friends.” The Russian smiled, but it was obviously plastered on. “Earlier today I got a pretty scary phone call. Do any of you know who it was?” 

All of the Americans looked confused, sharing perplexed glances at each other, but staying silent. 

“I’ll give you a hint, kids, it wasn’t Tommy Saginowski. Do you know why? Because he’s dead. I killed him. You take orders from me now. But apparently a few of you can’t accept that.” He stepped forward, walking down the line and looking into all of their eyes. “It was the hospital, letting me know that the love of my life had been _stabbed._ I mean, could you imagine that?” He let out a bark of a laugh, “So, is there anything you’d like to share with the class?” 

They all just stared, wide-eyed like they were deer caught in the headlights.

“I know how this must feel, believe me. If the American’s came to Russia, killed my boss and said ‘Okay, you listen to me now.’ I’d be very distraught, as you are, but I’m not the bad guy here.” Viktor stopped walking the line, stepping back to take a good look at all of them. “Nobody is talking? Great.” He pulled out a gun from his thigh holster, and shot the man in front of him in the head, spraying the workers beside him in his blood. All of them flinched, eyes wide in horror.

“Every time I ask and nobody speaks up, one of you dies. I’m not here to play games; I’m here to get answers. So, I’ll ask again, which one of you did it?” 

There were a few moments of silence before another shot rang off, and another American body hit the floor. 

“I could do this all day, guys, come on. Work with me here.” He cocked the gun, and pointed it again, “Who-“ 

“It was me!” The manager yelled, “I did it.” 

Viktor dropped the gun to his waist, and spun on his heels, staring the manager down. 

“Oh, really?” He took a step towards him, “Why is that?” 

“I was angry you’re invading our territory, so I saw her and-“ 

“Wow, you must be really dense.” Viktor kicked the man in the knee with a loud _snap_ as it broke and bent under his weight, sending him toppling to the ground with a cry. “I told you to stop lying, boy, you should take my advice. Who was it really?” 

“John-“ He cried out, “It was John- He’s-He’s got a wife and kids, man. Please, kill me inst-“ Viktor stepped on the man’s face to get him to shut up.

“Which one is John?” The crowd thinned back, revealing a tall, muscular man with burgundy hair and hazel eyes. Viktor was on him in a second, pinning him to the ground quick and hard despite the man’s size advantage. The Russian pressed the barrel of the pistol hard into the man’s temple, leaning down on him with a knee on his diaphragm. “Was it really you, Johnny boy?” 

“I don’t know what he’s talking about…” The man spat, struggling for breath. 

“Are you sure?” Viktor got closer to the man, “Because if you are, just tell me who it is, and we can all let this slide. I can get off, help you up, you and your boys can get back to work for me. Unless, that is, you have a problem with that.” Viktor grinned, face inches from the brunette’s. “Any reason you would have a problem with that, John?” 

“Fuck it, I’d rather die than work for you.” He pinched an eye shut tight and pushed his head harder into the barrel of the gun. “Yeah I fucking did it! So shoot me!” 

“What did he look like?” 

“Does it matter?” 

“What did he _fucking look like?”_

“Short, Asian, wore glasses,” John stammered, “Real young, too. It’s bad enough you’re a fag, but chasin’ jailbait too? Pretty fucked, even for a Russian.” 

“Listen here, you little prick.” Viktor picked the man up by the collar of his shirt, making him look him in the eye. “I need to know who told you, preferably quick here, because I’m about ready to tie your arms to your legs and throw you in the ocean, got it?” 

“I’m a dead man either way, faggot, so just shoot me.” 

“You’re dead either way, but if you tell me who hired you I can make your death marginally less slow and painful.” 

“Go to hell, queer.” 

He recoiled and spat in Viktor’s face. But Viktor didn’t react right away, he just pulled the handkerchief from his pocket and wiped it off slowly, dropping it on the ground beside him and putting the gun back in it’s holster. 

When he stood, the brunette made a move to get away, but Viktor kicked him hard across the jaw, knocking him back to the concrete. He stood over him, picking his head up by the hair, and showing it to all the other workers. 

“Let John be an example to you.” He spoke to the others, “I don’t know who put him up to this, but I’m sure they’ve spoken to some of you too, and will try to do this again in the future, but hear this: If any of you touch my beloved again, I have many more creative ways of taking care of you too. Just because I’m a _faggot_ doesn’t mean I can’t get the job done.” 

He pulled the taller man away by his scalp, dragging him against the dusty concrete floor of the warehouse as he struggled and yelled in his grasp. Viktor ignored him, of course, and moved to the opposite side of the room to a pile of rope. 

“Ivan, Anatoly, Dmitry-“ The three men stood forward, “Come hold him down. Georgi, pass me the pliers.”

~~~

“I can’t believe you just did that…” Mila was looking white as a sheet, staring over at Viktor’s bloodstained hands on the steering wheel. 

“What?” He turned to her with a completely neutral expression, “We do it to dogs and stuff, so it can’t be much different. Just cutting off his fingers wouldn’t be enough.” 

“You castrated him with a pair of pliers!” Georgi threw his arms in the air in the back seat, “You literally just cut that guys fucking nuts off in front of the men you’re supposed to be leading! How are they supposed to get shit done knowing how bat-shit insane you are?” 

“Hey,” Viktor looked genuinely hurt, “It was a little unorthodox but you wouldn’t understand. You didn’t see Yuuri.” 

“Is he alright?” Mila lit a cigarette and put it in her eldest brother’s mouth. 

“He’s as good as he can be.” He took a drag and pulled it out, “The doctors said he was lucky. If it were any further to the left it would have punctured a kidney.”

“That’s rough, Vitya, I’m sorry.” Georgi patted him on the back, and took the cigarette from Mila. 

“I just don’t understand… I thought we were good. I thought Minako and Emil and Sara were coming around. Why would somebody from our inner circle tell the American’s about Yuuri?” 

“They’re using you, Vitya.” Georgi cut in, “They’re obviously… upset about Yuuri. They don’t understand _love_ like we do.” 

“You’re right…” He stared the road down, “I just feel so betrayed. It’s one thing to go after me, but Yuuri? He has nothing to do with this. It’s like if they did something to Yuratchka. He’s barely even finishing tenth grade, let alone training.” 

Mila looked a little ticked for a moment, dropping her cigarette ashes over the edge of the window. 

“Is it really, though?”

Viktor pulled his sunglasses down and turned to her. 

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m asking if it’s really the same as hurting our little cousin.”

Viktor quickly turned into an empty parking stall, earning him a few honks from the people behind him. 

“Listen to me Mila,” He grabbed her chin tightly, making her look into his eyes. “Yuuri may seem like nothing special to you, but he’s my entire world. Damn me for having a weakness, I know, but it can’t be helped. One day I’m going to marry that boy,” Viktor squeezed a little tighter, “So I suggest you smarten up pretty quick here, little sister, unless there’s another family you can join.” 

Mila gaped at him and the cigarette fell from her mouth onto her lap, making her yelp and jolt out of Viktor’s tight grasp. He let it go, turning back to the wheel and pulling out of the parking spot so they could get home. 

~~~

Viktor poured the tea into a large mug and emptied a few pills from the prescription bottle the doctor had given him. He walked over to where Yuuri was lying on the couch, sitting on the cushion carefully as to not jostle the boy. 

“Do you need anything else?” 

“No, that’s fine, thank you.” Viktor handed him the cup and he took a long sip, relishing in the taste of the expensive tea. Then he took another, and popped the pills into his mouth, swallowing with a big gulp. 

“I can ask if there’s a room with a TV in the bedroom; I don’t really like you sitting out here.” 

“It’s comfortable, and I’m not that tall.” Yuuri huffed a bit of a laugh, “Just come here, please?” Yuuri shuffled forward so there was space between his back and the cushion, obviously wanted Viktor to lay behind him. The Russian carefully wedged himself between the back of the couch and the injured boy, one hand in his dark locks and the other wrapped loosely around his waist, careful of the wound. 

“I’m so sorry, love…” He whispered into Yuuri’s ear just loud enough to be heard over the television, leaving a soft kiss on the back of his neck. 

“You didn’t do anything.” The younger boy reassured him, “I knew that eventually I’d get involved again.” Long pale fingers paused their ministrations in his hair. 

“You shouldn’t have to.” Viktor involuntarily moved closer, slipping a leg between Yuuri’s. “It’s somebody close to me, I know it. Nobody else knows about you.”

“They’re intimidated by you.” Yuuri stated calmly, “You’re different, and that scares them. People don’t like change.” Viktor hummed in acknowledgement, brushing his nose into the soft hairs at the back of Yuuri’s head.   
“How was seeing your sister? I never got the chance to ask.” 

“It was nice.” Yuuri sighed, “I didn’t think I was ready, but I was. I told her everything, she wants to keep in touch.” 

“Nobody could ever forget about you,” Viktor kissed the crown of his hair, “I’m glad, Yuuri, I’m so happy you got through this.” 

Suddenly, Viktor was hovering over him, turning his head with his hand and kissing him slow and deep. Yuuri was a bit startled at first, but he reacted quickly, bringing his hands up to the taller man’s sides and shifting so he was lying on his back and Viktor was looming over him. 

Viktor licked into his mouth, over his teeth, the roof of his mouth, tasting the green tea on Yuuri’s breath. When he pulled his split lower lip between his own teeth, Yuuri froze up, rubbing Viktor’s shoulders, making him pull away. 

“We shouldn’t, I- it might rip.” He gestured to his bandaged stomach. 

“Don’t worry,” Viktor gave him a sly grin, “I’ll take care of you, just sit back.” 

He gently pulled the boy’s shirt over his head, avoided his bruised face and torso, and threw it to the ground. Pale hands wandered up his sides and over his chest, running gently along his collarbones. 

“Look what they did to you…” Viktor trailed off, staring at the purple and yellow marks blossoming across his stomach and chest. 

“It wasn’t you.” Yuuri reassured him, gripping tightly to the man’s thighs. “You couldn’t have done anything.” 

“If you were prepared,” he shook his head, “I should teach you. I know you probably wouldn’t like it but if you carried a gun I can’t help but feel that this could have been avoided.”

“I’ll learn, if that makes you feel better.” 

Viktor nodded, leaning back down to press soft kisses along Yuuri’s jaw, down to the curve of his ear, momentarily sucking it between his teeth and causing the boy’s breath to hitch. He chuckled darkly; moving lower to his neck, and trachea, then to the dip between his collarbones where he spent a bit more time, knowing Yuuri was sensitive there. 

“Shit, Vik-tor…” He hissed under his breath, “Oh god, right there.” 

Viktor gave him what he wanted, lapping and sucking at the sensitive skin. Yuuri’s hips bucked a bit beneath him so he used his knees to trap them, not wanting the boy to hurt himself further. 

He moved lower, kissing and biting the soft skin of Yuuri’s stomach. He had told Viktor at one point that he was a bit self-conscious, seeing as he had gained weight and Viktor looked like he had been carved out of marble, so Viktor made sure to spend extra time in this particular area, trying to help Yuuri through his struggles. Reassuring him that Viktor found everything about him beautiful, not just his face.

He gripped his hips and pulled the boy’s sweatpants down with his teeth, adjusting himself and lifting his legs a bit so he could pull them all the way off, leaving Yuuri in just his blue boxer briefs.

“I think I would like that.” He said, moving back down to suck and nip at Yuuri’s exposed hips. 

“What?” the boy huffed out. 

“To see you with a gun.” He grinned, “To see you protect yourself. I don’t want you to be in danger, but I think just the thought of you being strong for me…” He trailed off, biting a little too hard onto the soft flesh by his stomach, making Yuuri yelp. 

He pulled the boxers down slowly, letting Yuuri’s already leaking cock spring free, but he didn’t move to it immediately. Viktor dropped his head between the boys knees, continuing his ministrations up the boy’s inner thighs till he got to his groin. 

“Grab my hair,” He told him, “I don’t care how hard, I don’t want you trashing around and hurting yourself more.” 

Yuuri nodded with a lip between his teeth, letting his fingers slip into the long blond bangs and shorter hairs on the back of his head. Viktor kissed his tip, and they tightened, earning him a low groan from the man above him. He then moved to lick from the base to the tip, making Yuuri let go of his lip to let out a small cry. 

“That’s it, baby,” Viktor cooed, “Let it out. I want to hear you.” 

Yuuri gripped the hair tighter as Viktor took him completely, head of his cock hitting the back of his throat and then some. The Russian hummed around him and he had to fight back the urge to squirm, but it probably wouldn’t have worked; Viktor’s strong hands were pinning him to the couch. 

He picked up the pace; making Yuuri shut his eyes and throw his head back. Viktor laughed at the expression on the younger boy’s face, speeding up even further so Yuuri would make more noises for him. 

He could feel himself getting harder through his jeans, but he didn’t make any move to do anything about it. Right now was about Yuuri, and no matter how painful it was to have himself pressing against the rough material of his Levi’s he didn’t do anything about it, just kept milking Yuuri for all he was worth. 

Yuuri’s breath was quick, and he kept babbling incoherent sentences in a mix of English, Russian, and Japanese, like he’d forgotten which language was his most dominant. It made Viktor even harder, keening high in the back of his throat around Yuuri’s length, making the boy tense even further. 

When he felt Yuuri’s entire body shutter, he continued, pulling up to the tip and almost completely off, then down to the base, sucking hard. Yuuri came with a loud cry, gripping Viktor’s hair like a lifeline. 

The Russian pulled off with a pop and swallowed, looking down at Yuuri’s wrecked expression. When Yuuri cracked his eyes open he could see Viktor still looming over him, hair a mess, and come dripping down his chin a bit. 

The younger boy reached up to his chin, wiping it away from the man’s face onto his thumb, then brought it to his mouth. He’d only ever tasted himself on Viktor’s tongue before, never like this, but he found it was strangely enjoyable, looking up into Viktor’s fiery eyes blown wide in arousal. 

Then Viktor pulled the boy’s sweatpants back on him, and wedged himself behind him on the couch again, pulling the boy close as he shut his eyes, forgetting the aching between his thighs. 

“What about you?” Yuuri inquired, trying to turn back around in Viktor’s grasp. 

“No, no, Yuuri, I think that’s quite enough for today.” He chuckled, “I don’t want you to hurt yourself again.” 

Yuuri pouted a bit, but nodded, understanding where Viktor was coming from. He’d make it up for him another day. 

~~~

“Are you sure about this, Yuuri? I’m sure your friends will understand. I can call Anatoly and the boys and ask them to turn around.” 

“I’m sure,” Yuuri smiled over at the man in the driver’s seat. “It will be my last chance to see them all together for a while, I want to do this.”

Viktor nodded, leaning over and kissing the boy sweetly, before pulling back and exiting the car. They had decided to meet at a diner they’d frequented as kids just a few blocks from their high school, all his friends and Mari. Viktor wrapped an arm around Yuuri’s shoulders as they walked from the car to the diner’s front entrance.

“I’m a little worried about them seeing Anatoly and Dmitry though…” 

“They’re a ways back. I told them to wear civilian clothes.” He smiled down at Yuuri, “Don’t worry, everything will be alright.” 

Yuuri tried to relax, letting the warmth of Viktor’s arm slung gently across his shoulders seep into him like the steam from the hot tub back home, but it was only worsened by the sight of his old friends all seated around a table, deep in conversation. Minami’s bright hair suddenly shot up from the booth, and he launched himself at Yuuri.

“Yuuri! Did you bring your dog this time, I-“ He paused when he saw Viktor beside him, “I-I didn’t have a - uh – a chance to get a picture last time. I um…”

“Sorry, Minami, I can’t bring him to the diner. We left him at the hotel.” 

Minami just nodded, biting his lip, then lead the two over to the group, where the erupted in ruckus applause.

“Yuuri! So good to see you!” Yuuko exclaimed, standing from the booth and pulling him into a loose embrace. 

“You too, Yuu, I missed you guys.” 

She pulled back, and caught sight of Viktor. 

“Um, who’s this?” 

“Oh, I guess Mari is the only one who knows. This is Viktor, my boyfriend.” 

The group hushed a bit, but the noise from the diner around them helped to not make it awkward.

“Pleasure to meet you all.” Viktor bowed a bit, then helped Yuuri into the booth so he could sit beside Phichit. When he bent at a weird angle he flinched, making Viktor support him a little more. 

“What’s up with you?” Takeshi asked, brow furrowed as Yuuri managed to get comfortable. 

“I um-“ He stumbled over his words, unsure of what to say. He didn’t even think of an excuse. 

“I was just telling Phichit about your trip to the hospital, Yuuri.” Mari cut in, “It sucks that your appendix had to rupture on vacation.” 

Yuuri didn’t say anything, but he did send a silent _thank you_ across the table, hoping she got the message. 

“That sucks, man, do you remember when Phichit’s appendix ruptured?” 

The memories of that night flooded back to Yuuri. They were at Takeshi’s house, since he was the eldest and the only one that had a job, so he could afford all the latest video game consoles. They were in the midst of a siege when Phichit started complaining more about a stomachache that had been plaguing him the entire day. Eventually they had to stop playing, all piling into Takeshi’s car and driving to the hospital. 

“That was awful!” Yuuri groaned, “I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”

“You were going to have a heart attack?” Phichit cut in, “I actually believed I was going to die. I considered asking you to call my mom in Thailand so I could say my last words.” 

They all laughed at the memory, the earlier awkward mood forgotten. They moved onto topics about Yuuko and Takeshi’s graduation, their engagement, how Santa Fe was when he was gone. Then they moved onto Yuuri, the climate in Russia, what his family was like. He tried not to give answers that were too vague, but Phichit and Mari had obviously caught on to how much he was trying not to say, as they nodded quietly but their faces were slightly confused. 

“So, is this your special someone?” Yuuko inquired finally, “How did you two meet?” 

Yuuri’s face blushed a deep red, obviously caught between the truth and an unbelievable lie. Yuuko caught him on the spot, just when he thought nobody would ask. 

“Yuuri came to live with me in Russia for school, my family was his homestay family.” 

“Oh wow,” Yuuko had a glint in her eyes, “That’s so romantic, Yuuri, you’re so lucky! That sounds like something out of a movie.” 

“Yeah, I got really lucky.” Yuuri beamed up at Viktor, “Even though it’s more like me taking care of your family.” 

“Excuse you,” Viktor scoffed, “My family is independent as they come.” 

“The other day I came home from grocery shopping and you and Georgi had poured a one-hundred-and-fifty-thousand ruble bottle of wine down the drain because you saw a tutorial on Pinterest for a beta fish tank made out of a wine bottle and wanted to put Yuri’s goldfish in it.”

“… But it worked.” 

“The fish died, Viktor!” Yuuri hid his face in his hands, but Viktor just laughed and rubbed Yuuri’s back reassuringly. 

“How long have you guys been together?” Minami asked, taking a sip of his soda.

“When exactly do you think?” Yuuri turned to Viktor. 

“Early January. It was just after my birthday, I remember, because it was negative fifteen at home that morning.” Yuuri nodded in agreement, and their food arrived at the table. 

“What about you, Viktor, what do you do?” Phichit asked, not looking up from his burger. 

“I own a trade and imports company in St. Petersburg.” Came the quick response. 

“Aren’t you a little young to be the owner of a company?” Minami asked, earning him a jab in the ribs from Yuuko. 

“It’s my family’s, so I inherited it.” He laughed light-heartedly, “I may look young, but I’m twenty-seven.” 

Everybody stopped mid-bite, looking up at the Russian.

“Sorry, you just don’t look like you’re twenty seven.” Mari quickly saved the moment, and everybody went back to eating and small talk. Phichit and Yuuri both excused themselves to the bathroom at the same time, the Thai boy and the Russian assisting the Japanese boy in standing.

“Yuuri,” Phichit said as they washed their hands, “Are you happy?” Yuuri shot him a confused look, wondering why he was whispering like they were being listened to. 

“Why do you ask?” 

“He’s not… hurting you, is he?” 

Yuuri’s eyes widened and he laughed nervously. 

“What is this about?” 

Phichit frowned as he ripped some paper towel from the dispenser and dried his hands. 

“Your appendix is one the right side of your body, Yuuri, Viktor is touching you all over but he’s avoiding your left side.” Yuuri’s heart sunk, “Mari’s acting weird, too, like she knows something I don't.” 

Yuuri huffed a bit and laughed again, but much more authentic this time. 

“He can barely even yell at me when we’re arguing. The other day we watched Monsters Inc for the first time and he cried throughout three quarters of it.” Phichit’s face relaxed a bit, “Don’t worry about us, Phichit. He’s a good guy, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been.” 

“Is he in a gang?” Phichit huffed under his breath, and Yuuri’s eyes widened again.

“Phichit, what the fuck?” 

“Yuuri, his car, his clothes, the big burly Russian dudes that walked in behind you when you came in, what else am I supposed to expect?” 

Yuuri sighed, head in his hands. 

“He said they would look inconspicuous.” 

“Not enough, apparently.” 

“Look, Phichit, I know how this seems. I show up with an older guy, who’s dressed to the nines in name brand labels, I know how this must look to you; but I love him. It’s not about the money. We’re in love and I want to spend the rest of my life with him.” 

Phichit’s eyes were glossy, but he didn’t cry. He just embraced Yuuri, pulling him closer and whispered in his ear.

“You were so sad for so long, Yuuri, I’m glad you’re happy now.” 

They went back and finished their dinner, and at the end of the night they all said their goodbyes, hugging Yuuri gingerly and shaking Viktor’s hand. Even some of the diner staff, who recognized him, came around to say a final farewell. 

“Your friends are so nice, Yuuri.” Viktor smiled at him getting into the car, “I feel bad taking you away so soon.” 

“It was nice to get to chat, but it’s been a long trip. I’m ready to head home.” 

Viktor was suddenly beaming at him, signature goofy grin painted on his face. 

“You just called St. Petersburg home.” Yuuri was grinning now, “That makes me happy.” 

“You did say it would grow on me.” They pulled out of the parking lot onto the main road, heading towards the hotel. “What did you think of the food?” 

“It was amazing!” Blue eyes lit up under the streetlamps, “I’ve never had food from a diner like that before. What was it that you were drinking again?” 

“Mountain Dew.” 

“Right. Do we have that in Russia?” Yuuri just laughed and shook his head. 

“I don’t know, we should check before we leave so you can stock up.” 

Viktor nodded in agreement and laughed, taking a hand off the wheel to hold Yuuri’s. 

“Will do. I just have a bit more business to take care of, we’ll be home in no time.” 

And that was the last thing Yuuri heard before there was a loud crash, and a screeching of tires, then everything turned to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ominous music* *finger guns* *a crack of lightening* if you thought this was bad, prepare for Chapter 14. 
> 
> *Spoiler alert: Extreme Violence incoming.
> 
> Again, what are your head canons for the next chapters?


	14. All Along The Watchtower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'All Along The Watchtower' by The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE: I've received some messages asking me about the update schedule and some are being rather rude. Please remember I'm a fourteen year old boy, not a machine. I try to update every day, but it doesn't always work out.
> 
> This chapter contains a lot of yelling and violence. 
> 
> The comment section is also going to contain a lot of yelling and violence once you're all finished this chapter. 
> 
> I'm sorry. *hides face* You've all been telling me how emotionally invest you are and I feel like I'm so POWERFUL, AND I WANT TO ABUSE IT.

Viktor was the first one to wake up. 

The sound of dripping water was the only thing he could hear, otherwise the room was dead silent. His arms were behind his back, tied at the wrist, as were his ankles when he tried to move them. At least he was upright, in a chair not on the ground, but it was pushed up against the far wall of the room, so he could see everything. He was aching all over, but the worst pain came from the tight ropes around his wrists 

It was humid and dingy, probably a basement of some sort, with a little illumination from some florescent lights flickering in the ceiling above. The floor was covered in cheap off-white bathroom tiles with a drain in the centre, and even though the room was quite dark in the corners, he could tell who it was slumped against the far wall by the door. 

“Yuuri!” He called out, but there was no answer. The boy’s back was to him, face against the wall, so Viktor couldn’t even see if he was okay. He started to panic, pulling on the tight bounds on his wrists and ankles trying to break free. “Yuuri, please! Yuuri, wake up!” He yelled. 

Yuuri groaned, and rolled over slowly, a look of pain imminent on his face. Even in the dull light Viktor could make out his fading bruises and split lip from the beating the few days before, but now he had a black eye and a fat lip to add. His eyes shot up suddenly, and he started hyperventilating, memories from the last events catching up to him. 

“V-Viktor, w-where are we? What’s happening?” He tried stand, but flinched and fell back against the tiles. 

“I don’t know, Baby, are you hurt?” He tried to remain calm, but it was difficult. Yuuri was obviously in excruciating pain. “Do you remember what happened?” 

“I-I remember being in the car, that’s it! I don’t remember anything else,” He looked around, and made a move to sit up again, and that’s when Viktor saw it. Yuuri’s blue sweater had a large red stain across the stomach, as well as multiple rips and tears in his sweater and pants. 

“Yuuri, your stomach is open.” Yuuri’s eyes shot down, and he started hyperventilating more. “Please, Yuuri, you need to calm down. Do you think you can get over here and untie me?” 

“I-“ Yuuri had to pause to catch his breath, “I’ll try.” He stood shakily, using the wall for support, then made his way over to where the chair was on the opposite side of the small room. With shaky hands, he managed to undo the binds from Viktor’s wrists, and the man shot forward and undid his ankles. He stood quickly from the chair, ignoring his blurring vision, and turned towards Yuuri, gripping him tightly and slowly lowering him to the ground. 

“Lie down, I want to see your stomach.” Yuuri nodded and complied, laying back on the cold, wet tiles so Viktor could pull up his damp sweater and examine the wound. The bandage was bright red and soaking wet, whether from blood or the water around them, he couldn’t quite tell. He peeled it back slowly from Yuuri’s skin, trying not to hurt him with the tape. He pulled off his torn blazer, using it to gently dap the blood away from the wound so he could get a better look. 

“Oh goodness, Yuuri.” 

“What? What’s wrong?” 

“A few of your stitches came undone. It’s not bleeding very heavily anymore, but no wonder you’re so tired and pale.” He took the blazer and tied it gently around Yuuri’s mid section in hopes it would help clean up the last of the blood. It was an open wound, though, and if Yuuri didn’t get medical help soon it would become infected. “Hold on just a second.” Viktor stood up and walked to the door, trying the handle. It was steel, so he had little hope of breaking it open somehow, and the handle was locked. They’d need to find some other way of breaking out, maybe when the door opened eventually. 

He made his way back over to Yuuri, sitting against the wall and pulling the smaller boy gently into his lap so he wouldn’t disturb his injuries. Yuuri began crying almost immediately, clutching tight to Viktor’s shoulders and sobbing into his neck as Viktor ran his fingers through his hair, trying to sooth him. Yuuri had only been in a situation like this once, Viktor many, but this time Viktor wasn’t outside to protect him, he wasn’t on his way to come get him, he was right here trapped with him and it was almost a blessing and a curse. 

“I know it’s scary, Love…” He whispered, “But we’ll get out. Mila and Georgi are on there way now, I know it.” The boy nodded but continued to cry, and Viktor didn’t blame him. Who knows how long they’d been asleep for? It could have been minutes; it could have been hours. A couple hours was long enough to leave the country, and if they really didn’t want to be found they could make it difficult. It could be weeks before any of the Bratva showed up, and even then what would become of him and Yuuri?

“Do y-you have any idea where we are?” Yuuri whispered to him with a sniffle. 

“No, I’ve been asleep, just like you.” He continued to massage the boy’s head, “We can’t be far. I’m still full from dinner, you know?” Yuuri nodded in understanding, pulling himself closer to Viktor to leach off some of his warmth.

“I’m sorry I can’t pull it together.” He mumbled under his breath, “This is what you were talking about, wasn’t it?”

“Yuuri, do you think I was always so calm and collected?” 

Yuuri thought for a moment then shook his head. 

“I guess not…” 

“It took a long time for me to get where I am today. You’re only a teenager, as annoying as that is for me to say,” The Russian explained, “I don’t know what’s going on or who brought us here, but all I know is we’re going to get out, and they’re going to pay for what they did to you, and whatever damages they did to my Cadillac.” 

Yuuri chuckled a bit, kissing Viktor on the cheek.

“I almost feel better that you’re here, but that also scares me.”

“I know how you feel,” Viktor ran his fingers through Yuuri’s hair again, “But my family is out there. The same family that got us out last time, and Otabek, who at this point might as well be family considering how in love Yura is.” They both laughed a bit, “We’ll get out, I’m positive. Just do as I say, we’ll be fine.” They kissed then, long and sweet, but suddenly the steel door swung open and they broke apart. 

The man was tall and skinny, and looked almost like a rat. His corduroy suit hung off his body and his pants were dirty and too short, showing off his ankles. If it were any other situation, Viktor would have called him a fashion disaster, but decided against it. 

“Sorry to interrupt.” He said, pulling up a foldout chair and setting it in front of him, then straddling it. He lit a cheap cigarette and took a drag, stuffing the carton back in his jacket pocket, then he sat and stared down at the couple on the floor. 

“What do you want? Is it money? Because I have plenty if you just-” 

The man huffed a laugh and shook his head, blowing out a large puff of smoke. 

“That’s funny, but no.” He folded his arms on the back of the chair and rested his head on them, “I represent a certain… group of American individuals who really want you dead.” 

Yuuri tensed in Viktor’s arms even further, and Viktor’s grip on him tightened. 

“But don’t worry. As much as _I_ want you dead, my employer does not.” 

“And _who_ is your employer?” 

“That’s classified.” He pointed his cigarette at Viktor, “But I’m supposed to keep you here. The American’s will send out the shipment and the money will go towards your department, but after American control will return to Mr. King. So, you’ll live for now.” He took another drag and dropped the half-smoked cigarette to the floor, snuffing it out on the tiles with his ugly leather loafers. “In the mean time, my employer did not say what we were to do with you, so we’d like to get some information about future shipments, if that’s alright with you.”

“Go to hell!” Viktor spat through gritted teeth, pulling Yuuri close. 

“That’s fine,” The man chuckled, “If you don’t want to talk, I have ways of getting you to talk.” The man called behind him, and five large American men entered the room. They moved towards the men in the back behind the chair, two pulling Yuuri roughly off Viktor’s lap and the others restraining Viktor. 

It took three to hold the Russian back, and even then they were struggling. Yuuri could barely fight back in his injured state, but was he ever trying. Thrashing and kicking, trying to get back to Viktor in a blind panic. Viktor was shouting at them, using his elbows and weight to try and knock them away so he could get back. 

“He’s injured!” Viktor yelled to the corduroy man, “Please! He’s just a kid! Please help him!” The man just shook his head with a snicker. 

“I’m not allowed to kill you, but nobody ever said anything about the Jap.” He grinned widely, “He’ll be fine for now. He might be useful later.” Yuuri called out to him one last time as he was dragged out of the room, practically being lifted off his feet. 

When he saw the look on the boy’s face as the door closed that was the moment he swore to kill everybody in the room. 

~~~

“How did you take over Saginowski’s district?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

The man slapped him hard across the face. It stung, but Viktor still had that mischievous smile spread across his face. 

_’Little bitch.’_

“The boys at the factory told us all about it, and we have security footage of you scalping him in his office.” He gripped Viktor’s hair, pulling his head back over the chair. “Who was the sniper?” 

“Fuck you.” The Russian growled, making the man punch him hard in the face. The chair almost tipped back, but the man caught it and pulled it back steady. 

“I’ll ask again, who was the sniper?” 

Viktor spat, spraying blood from his mouth across the man’s tanned face and jacket. He recoiled fast in shock, glaring at Viktor’s shit-eating grin. 

“If you think this is funny, Korolyov, I can assure you it can get real serious real quick.” 

“Didn’t you hear?” Viktor spat more blood on the ground beside him, “There’s been a change in family name. It’s Nikiforov now.” 

“Like your mother, eh?” The man chuckled, “Lev and I were old buddies in University. I remember when they met.” 

“You knew my father?” 

“I did.” Corduroy man nodded, “He was a good man. It’s a shame his _faggot_ son took over, if you didn’t we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” 

“What do you mean?” He wriggled against the binds, “What does any of this mean? You’re all against me being Pakhan because I’m a _queer?_ Do you really think that interferes with how I work?” 

“Apparently it already has. You took out the boys in Sochi for the whore, I was told that was a test to see how far you’d go for him.” 

“Would Lev not have for my mother? For Eve or Yana?” He spat at the man, “Surely if you were friends with Lev you’d remember Yakov, and when Maria went missing?” 

“This is different!” The man yelled in his face. 

**“How?”** Viktor argued back through gritted teeth, “You should know by now how much I’ve accomplished since I came to be Pakhan, most of it with the boy by my side. The brotherhood has never been stronger!”

“But at what cost?” The man shook his head, “You’re filth. An abomination. You’ll never have a successor and then what?” 

“Things change. Yakov’s son can be my heir, he’s already the obvious candidate.” 

“It would upset everything. After years of Korolyov blood on the throne, suddenly the face of the St. Petersburg Bratva is a Feltsman? I couldn’t let that happen. For Lev, especially, he’d be ashamed.” He turned around to face Viktor, “When my employer comes to a conclusion about what to do with you, we’ll know what becomes of the brotherhood. So, tell me, who was the sniper?” 

“Eat a dick.” 

Corduroy man picked Viktor up from the chair, practically carrying him over to the large grimy bathtub on the other side of the room. The Russian’s head was fully submerged in seconds, but he quickly remembered his training. 

_’Don’t panic. Hold your breath, breath deeply when he pulls you back up.’ ___

__“Who was the sniper?” The man tore him from the water, but Viktor just kept breathing deeply, so he threw him back under._ _

___’Breath out slowly, stop struggling.’_ _ _

__“Where is the next shipment from Honduras connecting?” The Russian shut his eyes, waiting for the man to throw him back under, but he never did. The American loosened his hold on the bound man, letting him slip to the damp floor._ _

__“Charles!” The man yelled, gripping the back of the chair and pulling it from the room, “Tell everybody to leave the room, and grab my equipment!”_ _

__~~~_ _

__The nine-inch nails through his legs and hands had been a nice touch, Viktor had thought, trying to ignore what was happening currently. He focused on the pain in his thighs, calves, and palms, the piercing that shot through his muscle and bone. The men who did it had struggled somewhat when they got to his legs, they could only get it through one since they had to put metal rods in them from when Lev had beaten him with the bat._ _

__“Do you regret not talking?”_ _

__Viktor ground his teeth, trying to hold back a scream, but it was difficult when he had nothing to grip except the sides of the chair. He tried to ignore the hot blood trickling down the sides of his face, on his cheeks and down his neck to his shirt, as well as the searing pain on the side of his head._ _

__“Holy shit, you’re tough.” The man laughed, continuing his work._ _

___’Think of Yuuri.’_ _ _

____“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me?”_ _ _ _

______’Yuuri graduating. Yuuri going to college.’__ _ _ _ _

____“God damn, you’re a beast!”_ _ _ _

______’Proposing to Yuuri. Ring on his finger, Makkachin in the bed.’__ _ _ _ _

____The voice became distant, and Viktor couldn’t make it out anymore._ _ _ _

______’Yuuri on your wedding day in a suit. Picket fence.’__ _ _ _ _

____Suddenly cold water hit him in the face, bringing him back to reality. The man in the corduroy suit was still in front of him, jacket shed and hands covered in blood, and he was holding things in both hands._ _ _ _

____A knife in his left, and an ear in his right._ _ _ _

____“You’re one tough cookie, Levovich.” The man dropped the items on the ground when he saw Viktor nodding off from the pain, “No, no, no, not yet. We’re not done.” He slapped Viktor awake, making his eyes snap open and his head fall back against the chair. “Charles, go get the whore.”_ _ _ _

____“Wait, what?” Viktor didn’t know whether he’d heard it right. Despite the throbbing in his hands and legs he started to struggle again, stained, sticky hair and fresh blood blinding the vision in his left eye. “No! No, you can’t! He doesn’t- He didn’t do anything to you! It’s me!”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri was carried into the room, looking as dirty and pale as he’d left him. The look on his face when he saw Viktor broke his heart. He wondered if he could see the gaping wound on the side of his face from that angle, but he could probably tell what had happened based on how much blood was dripping hot down his face._ _ _ _

____“Don’t!” Yuuri yelled to him, “Don’t tell them anything, I’ll be fine!”_ _ _ _

____“No you won’t.” Corduroy man grinned down at him, “Tell me, Nikiforov, everything I want to know.”_ _ _ _

____“Anything! Just let him go!” He wriggled, “Let him free and I’ll tell you everything you want to know!”_ _ _ _

____“I can’t do that, sorry. But you know what I can do?” He lifted a box cutter from the table, “I can cut off his finger tips one by one, and you can watch and listen with that ear of yours.” Viktor’s eyes widened, “Then, if you still don’t tell me what I want to know, I can try out some new tricks. Ever tried waterboarding?”_ _ _ _

____**“Don’t you fucking dare!”** Viktor yelled, “If you lay a fucking finger on his head I’ll destroy everything you love, I swear to fuck-“ _ _ _ _

____“Ooh, that struck a chord! We’re getting somewhere!”_ _ _ _

____Viktor could see in Yuuri’s eyes that he was in the beginning stages of a panic attack, and based on his swollen eyes, he’d had a few since Viktor was taken away. It donned on Viktor that Yuuri could probably hear them from the other room, and his heart sunk even further._ _ _ _

____“What do you need?” The blond huffed, “Just let him go! He’s just a kid…” He cried out, gripping tightly to the edges of the chair._ _ _ _

____“I want-“_ _ _ _

____Suddenly, the man holding Yuuri let out an agonized yell, and hit the ground hard. The Japanese boy stood over him, ripping his .22 from the holster and pointing it at the corduroy man with shaking hands, a bit of blood dripping from his mouth to his chin._ _ _ _

____“Don’t touch him.” His voice was shaky and uneven, but he cocked the gun like he saw in the movies. “No more.”_ _ _ _

____The American raised his hands defensively, letting the box cutter clamber to the ground. He made a move to step away, but Yuuri straightened the gun at him again._ _ _ _

____“Yuuri, steady please.” Viktor told him, voice calm. “Think about what you’re doing.”_ _ _ _

____“I-I don’t-“ Tears started streaming down his face, hands shaking even more._ _ _ _

____“I know, baby, deep breathes. Walk towards me, please.” Yuuri did as he was told, side-stepping towards the man in the chair whilst the barrel of the gun never left the American._ _ _ _

____“What’s this-“_ _ _ _

____“I suggest you shut your goddamn mouth before he accidently pumps your face full of lead. Get on your knees.” Viktor snapped and the man listened, “Yuuri, I need you to get one of the nails out of my hand.”_ _ _ _

____“I d-don’t think I can-“_ _ _ _

____“Yes, Yuuri, you can. Remember how you said you wanted to learn? Think of this as training. Pick up the hammer off the table.” Yuuri sidestepped again behind the chair, gun trained at the man on the ground. He picked the hammer up and brought it back. “You don’t have to look if you don’t want to.”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri was openly sobbing now, entire body shaking in fear and horror at what he was about to do. He was having trouble looking at Viktor right now, let alone staring at his bloodied hands as he pulled a nail from it._ _ _ _

____He gripped the handle tight, and put the claw around the head of the nail sticking out an inch or two from the top of Viktor’s hands. He shook his head at Viktor, crying silently like a plea for him to suddenly tell him he doesn’t have to do it._ _ _ _

____“It’ll be quick. Just do it fast, okay?” Yuuri nodded, “Okay. One, two, three-“_ _ _ _

____Yuuri yanked his hand up fast, pulling it almost completely from the Russian’s hand. He ground his teeth tight so he wouldn’t yell, not wanting the boy to panic any more than he already was. He raised his bleeding hand quickly, pulling the rest of the nail out that had embedded itself deep into his palm. Yuuri fell backwards onto his backside, both hands on the handle of the gun now, sobs wracking his body._ _ _ _

____The man on the floor was stoic as he watched Viktor grip the hammer tightly in his injured hand and remove the nail from his other with a loud groan, but he couldn’t get the one in his thigh completely out, so he just pulled it from the chair and left it in. He had to stand slowly, the sudden loss of blood making him light-headed and even paler than usual. He stepped onto his good leg and leaned a bit._ _ _ _

____“Everything is fine now. Let me take the gun.” Yuuri didn’t even react to the noise; he just kept the gun pointed at the man in front of them, teeth chattering. “Baby, please, I need the gun.” Something about the endearment awakened something in Yuuri, and his jaw snapped shut as Viktor’s bloodied hands reached around his, and slowly pulled the gun from his fingers, replacing it with his arm._ _ _ _

____“Can you stand, Love?” Yuuri nodded, getting to his feet slowly, eyes never leaving the man on the floor._ _ _ _

____“You wouldn’t have shot me.” The man spat at him, “There are eight men outside that door, how are you going to get out?”_ _ _ _

____Viktor snapped the barrel of the revolver open, checking the bullets._ _ _ _

____“It’s full.” Viktor pointed it at the man and stepped in front of Yuuri. “I’m a good shot, even with fucked up hands.” He stepped forward and hit the man across the face with the barrel of the gun, knocking him unconscious._ _ _ _

____“Yuuri, stay behind me, alright?” Yuuri just nodded, gripping tighter to the bloodied man’s shirt. Viktor was still soaked to the bone from the earlier endeavours, but he couldn’t find it in him to care right now. He needed to get Yuuri out, no matter the price._ _ _ _

____They opened the door slowly, peering at the men on the other side. Three were facing away from them, talking about something over a bar counter, two were napping on benches to the right of them, one was on his phone between them, and another two were guarding the door, talking to each other with their guns in their laps._ _ _ _

____Viktor’s body tensed as he raised the gun, going for the men by the door first, since they would be the first to fire. Their blood sprayed against the white wall behind them, and it earned them the attention of the other men in the room. Viktor took out the ones by the bar next, then the man on his phone, and lastly the napping pair, who had just barely woken up._ _ _ _

____He felt Yuuri’s face hidden deep into his back, trying to hide the scene behind the wall of muscle that was Viktor. He held the gun tightly still, turning a bit and wrapping an arm protectively around Yuuri’s shoulders, as well as support. They were quiet as they limped out through the room, the boy’s head still hidden in Viktor’s chest as they left so he wouldn’t see the carnage the elder had inflicted upon the room. The front door led to a staircase of sorts, that they also climbed up slowly, both shivering from fear, cold, and adrenaline. At the top of the steps was a fire exit of some sort, that they pushed open, ignoring the blaring alarms shooting throughout the building._ _ _ _

____The light from outside was blinding when they stepped into it, the hot Santa Fe sun beating down on their faces and warming them immediately. Viktor pulled Yuuri closer, wrapping both arms around him and letting the boy cry once again into his neck. Viktor may have even cried too, letting a few tears slip out as he embraced the younger man and kissed the top of his head tenderly._ _ _ _

____It was obviously quite far from downtown because both couldn’t tell where they were, so they settled on a family restaurant that neither of them recognized. It took only a few minutes to get there._ _ _ _

____They pushed open the door to the diner, and nobody looked up despite the loud chimes that rang as they did. Using each other for support they limped up to the front counter, settling into a barstools. Even then they didn’t separate, Yuuri between his legs, his arms wrapped tight around the boy._ _ _ _

____“Excuse me,” He called to a waitress behind the counter, who dropped her fresh pot of coffee when she saw them._ _ _ _

____“Could we please use your phone and possibly get some coffee? It’s been a long night.”_ _ _ _

____~~~_ _ _ _

____Yuuri zoned out multiple times throughout the ordeal. He remembered holding onto Viktor the entire time, talking to the police a bit, the ambulance showing up, but he remembers nothing in between._ _ _ _

____Viktor lied to them, saying they were blindfolded and dropped off in a car on the side of the road a few miles up, and had walked back to the city. Yuuri didn’t really understand why he felt the need to lie at first, but when he thought back on it he was reminded why they had been taken in the first place, and that he couldn’t tell anybody._ _ _ _

____He snapped back to reality when arms wrapped around him, trying to pluck him from Viktor’s arms, and Viktor let him go._ _ _ _

____“Viktor, wait-“ He fought whoever had grabbed him, “Viktor! Don’t let them! What’s-“ He started screaming, throwing elbows and fighting off whoever was pulling him away because he couldn’t bare the thought of being away from him right now._ _ _ _

____“Yuuri,” The voice was deep, monotonous, and not American. “Yuuri, I know you’re scared, but you need to get to the hospital.” Yuuri had forgotten Otabek was in America too._ _ _ _

____“C-Can’t he come with me?” Yuuri stopped struggling, but he was still breathing heavy, “Otabek, can’t Viktor come in the ambulance too?”_ _ _ _

____“No, Yuuri, the doctors need to focus on him.” The older teen had practically picked him up, “It’s fine, I’ll stay with you.”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri relaxed a bit in the boy’s arms, comforted by a familiar face but still on edge from earlier events. No doubt this would stick with him a while, but right now he needed to stay strong, for himself and for Viktor._ _ _ _

____Otabek picked him up completely, and lifted him onto a gurney that the paramedics had set out. When he made a move to get on the ambulance, one of them stopped him._ _ _ _

____“You can’t come with us.” Yuuri’s heart started beating faster._ _ _ _

____“I can, I’m family.”_ _ _ _

____“He’s my cousin, please!” The younger boy reached out and pulled Otabek closer to him, “Please, I won’t go without him.”_ _ _ _

____The paramedic nodded, letting Otabek come on with them. They lifted Yuuri into the back and strapped him down. The Kazakh boy held his hand the entire way, and Yuuri didn’t think he’d ever been so thankful to see him. It was easy to forget how old they were, just kids like Viktor had said, but right now he was glad the older boy was with him._ _ _ _

____The ride to the hospital was quick, but it felt like it dragged on for years without Viktor. They stitched him back up and cleaned his wounds before they got there, telling him a doctor would see him before he could leave. He supposed it should have hurt, it usually would, but he was completely numb from his head to his feet._ _ _ _

____The doctor’s words at the hospital might as well have been German, because Yuuri couldn’t understand a single word. He was glad Otabek was there to catch what the man had said, because Yuuri couldn’t have told you even if he tried._ _ _ _

____He was told Viktor was having some sort of operation done, but he was welcome to nap in a bed and wait for him to finish. He didn’t, he just waited outside of the room with Otabek, unable to be alone right now, but he couldn’t fall asleep. He hadn’t slept without Viktor in five months; he wasn’t about to start now._ _ _ _

____A nurse came out and told him Viktor was up and awake, and Yuuri practically tore through the door to get to him._ _ _ _

____Viktor still had some blood on him, but it was gone for the most part. His hair was clumped and messy, sticking to his sweaty forehead and hiding the line of stitches on the side of his head Yuuri knew were there. He raised bandaged hands as Yuuri walked in, trying to signify he wanted him to join him, but Yuuri just stopped and stared down at the man._ _ _ _

____In all the time he’d known him, he’d never seen him this rough or beaten down, but he couldn’t have thought of a single time where he’d been this in love._ _ _ _

____Yuuri practically jumped into the bed, wrapping his arms tightly around the man and sobbing into his chest. Viktor immediately returned the embrace, tugging Yuuri that extra bit closer he’d been afraid to close in fear he’d hurt the older man._ _ _ _

____A nurse walked in to check on Viktor, but he just shook his head and put a finger to his lips, silently asking her to slip out and leave them be for a bit._ _ _ _

____Yuuri slept in his bed that night, despite the doctor’s warnings. Yuuri was obviously not going to leave his side no matter what anybody said._ _ _ _

____~~~_ _ _ _

____“This coffee is shit.” Viktor stated blandly, staring into the steaming Styrofoam cup._ _ _ _

____“I know,” Yuuri laughed, “Do you want me to ask Mila to pick us up some Starbucks or something?”_ _ _ _

____“Starbucks is shit too, I’ll just stick with hospital coffee.” He took another sip and his face contorted, “Did you really put six sugars in here?”_ _ _ _

____“Vicchan.” Yuuri snapped at him, “Of course I did.”_ _ _ _

____“It’s so bad, Yuuri!” He sobbed into his pillow, making the boy laugh again._ _ _ _

____“Enough with the dramatics.” Yuuri sipped his own coffee, but had no reaction. “How long did they say till you could leave?”_ _ _ _

____“Doctor Graham said two weeks for observation, but I’m sure I can leave sooner. How about tomorrow?” Yuuri shot him a look over the rim of his cup._ _ _ _

____“Tomorrow. As in the day after today.”_ _ _ _

____“Yup.”_ _ _ _

____“A professional doctor told you she needs to keep an eye on you for two weeks, yet you’re planning on flying to St. Petersburg tomorrow?”_ _ _ _

____“What’s this I hear about you leaving tomorrow?” The doctor entered the room swiftly. She was the only one the guards let in and out apart from Yuuri and the family._ _ _ _

____“Alana! So nice to see you!” Viktor beamed at her, “I was just telling Yuuri what you told me earlier today-“_ _ _ _

____“Cut the crap, Viktor. If you really want to leave I obviously can’t stop you, but I definitely advise against it.” She handed him his pain medication for the day and he swallowed it quickly, chasing it with the disgusting coffee and another grimace._ _ _ _

____“I want to go home.” He said with a frown, “Yuuri does too.”_ _ _ _

____“Yuuri will agree with me that you should stay here- Lift your head a bit.” He did as he was told, letting the doctor poke and prod a bit at the sore spots on his head. “I also think you should go to a psychiatrist, both you and Yuuri. What do you think?” She turned to the younger boy, but continued her work on Viktor’s head._ _ _ _

____“I think that’s a good idea.”_ _ _ _

____“We have doctors in St. Petersburg, it will be fine- Ow!”_ _ _ _

____“Oh suck it up, baby, you weren’t crying when I pulled the nail out of your leg.” She snapped at him. Yuuri admired the woman; she was one of the only people who spoke to Viktor like that other than him. “Would you like me to send them your medical records?”_ _ _ _

____“I don’t think that would be necessary, but I appreciate the gesture. Yuuri, could you phone Mila and tell her to book the flight?”_ _ _ _

____Yuuri nodded and left the room, taking Viktor’s phone with him. Doctor Graham continued to look over the Russian, making sure all his wounds were healing nicely and that she hadn’t missed something._ _ _ _

____“He’s a good kid, Nikiforov, how did you get so lucky?”_ _ _ _

____“I really don’t know.” He sighed dreamily, “I hope he’s okay.”_ _ _ _

____“It will take a while.” She told him, “It won’t happen over night. I can see he’s trying to be strong for you, but he’s struggling, Viktor, he really is.”_ _ _ _

____“I know. I see it too.” She finished up, pulling off her latex gloves and throwing them in the trash._ _ _ _

____“Well, Viktor, it’s been a pleasure helping you get healthy.” She smiled to him, “I sure hope you listen to what your doctors say in Russia unlike me, so we didn’t heal you for nothing.” He chuckled at her and shook his head._ _ _ _

____“It won’t happen again, I assure you.”_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY.  
> I'M SORRY.  
> IT HAD TO BE DONE.  
> IT HADDDDDDD TOOOO BBEEEE DONNNEEEE.
> 
> What are your thoughts, by the way? Who do you think is 'The Employer'? You guys have been so fantastic, yesterday I received almost 50 comments! Crazy!


	15. Sweet Child O' Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Sweet Child O' Mine' by Guns N' Roses.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AGAIN: I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT I'M FOURTEEN, THIS ISN'T MY JOB, SO PLEASE STOP HARASSING ME ABOUT NOT UPDATING ON TIME. I update a lot more often than most, and I do it because I enjoy it, if you berate me it makes me not want to update like I do. 
> 
> Speaking of me being fourteen, have a funny/smutty filler chapter. I really felt bad after what I put the boys through in Chapter 14, so although there's little plot development in this, you guys will really enjoy it. It's a bit of a break from the usual carnage and mayhem I put you through, and it still does contain a bit of plot. 
> 
> Also, this song was (I thought) very fitting for this moment. If you'd like to listen, AO3 user miconauta made a Spotify playlist for Blonde, which can be accessed here: https://play.spotify.com/user/virginia.prado/playlist/5UECt7wezhOkcKecSgAkHx
> 
> Enjoy~

The yellow-orange hue of the desert was the same colour as Yuuri’s mimosa, which tasted much different now than it had before. What was so different, though? It was made by the same stewardess with the same brand of champagne and orange juice, all on the same plane yet it still felt like he’d never had anything quite like it before. He supposed thoughts like this were better than his earlier concerns about the puppy they’d left behind in Santa Fe. Makkachin needed shots before he could travel, even though they had been flying privately. 

“Is something wrong, Love?” 

Yuuri turned to Viktor in the seat beside him, startled a bit from his thoughts. The Russian’s brow was furrowed deep and his eyes were soft with concern. Yuuri must have had a pretty solemn look on his face if Viktor looked like this. 

“No, I’m just thinking.” He explained, “Everything just feels… different. I don’t know if that makes any sense.” 

“It makes perfect sense.” Viktor sat back in his seat a bit, “I understand completely. Everything does feel different.” From this angle Yuuri could see the spot on Viktor’s head where the stitches ended, but not the entire row. His hair was a bit in the way, but it reminded Yuuri of what had happened, what Viktor went through to keep him safe. 

“We shouldn’t do this anymore. After we get home, let’s end this.”

The man didn’t move he just shut his eyes slowly. 

“Viktor,” Yuuri touched his arm gently, “Did you hear me?” 

“I heard you.” He said through gritted teeth, “I just was hoping I heard wrong.” Cerulean eyes shot open, revealing freshly welling tears. “How could you say that? After all we’ve been through.” 

“Viktor you didn’t have to pull a fucking nail out of your boyfriend’s hand-“ 

“No, Yuuri, I had to pull nails out of my _own_ body, and I had to watch my boyfriend pull one out too.” He was getting angry now, the angriest he’d ever been at Yuuri. “And you know what? I’m not sorry. I’m sorry you had to do that, I really am, I would never wish for something like that to happen to you, but I’m not sorry I had to go through that. I deserved it; you didn’t, so all that was going through my head while it was happening was you. I got through it because of _you.” _Yuuri stared up at him dumbfounded. This was the first time Viktor had ever raised his voice at him.__

__“Viktor, I’m-“_ _

__“No, Yuuri, let me finish!” He gripped the boy’s hands, “You don’t ever think about what’s best for you, you just assume what’s best for everybody around you. Right now you think _I put Viktor through that, so if I wasn’t there he’d be better off,_ but that’s not true at all. If you left it would _still_ happen, except I’d have nothing to get through it for.” The older man quieted at the end when he saw the look on the boy’s face, eyes glossing over like he was about to cry. Yuuri slumped back in his chair, trying to avoid looking at Viktor, and just stared out the window. _ _

__“But if I wasn’t here they would accept you…” He whispered, a tear trailing down his cheek. “They’re using me against you.”_ _

__“You’re my weakness,” Viktor reached up to gently grasp Yuuri’s face and turn it away from the window, “But it’s alright. We’ll learn from our mistakes, and this won’t happen again.” He brought their foreheads together and shut his eyes tight._ _

__“If you really want to go home, I won’t object.”_ _

__Yuuri stayed eerily silent for a few moments before he answered._ _

__“You are home.” He whispered, “I know it’s cliché but wherever you are, that’s where home is. St. Petersburg is home, because that’s where you live, that’s where Georgi and Mila are, that’s where Yura lives. I don’t want to be anywhere else.” He lunged forward and kissed Viktor hard, hand coming up to cup the left side of his face, careful of the wound._ _

__Viktor returned it immediately, pushing into the kiss and deepening it before Yuuri could react otherwise. They needed to be closer to each other in that moment. Yuuri jumped from his seat to the next and swung his leg over Viktor, straddling his lap, only pulling apart when Viktor let out a soft hiss._ _

__“Oh! Oh my- I forgot!” He tried to scramble off the man’s lap, “Sorry! Sorry, sorry-“ Large pale hands grabbed at his hips and pulled him back closer, kissing him with a firm grip on his chin again._ _

__“It’s fine,” He grinned up at the boy, “I don’t mind.” They were both thankful that the others had taken the bigger plane, convinced that since both Viktor and Yuuri were injured and still emotional they should have the smaller private jet to themselves. The stewardess had retreated to the back some time ago, and the captains never left the cockpit._ _

__They had the entire plane to themselves._ _

__Viktor made quick work of Yuuri’s hoodie, unzipping it in one go so he’d have easy access to the tan expanse of the boy’s neck. The first mark was soft and faded within seconds, but the second was not as forgiving. Yuuri bit his lip and let out a soft whimper as teeth scraped against his trachea and a tongue laved over the bruise. It didn’t seem fair that he was getting all the attention, so he began to grind his front into Viktor’s lap, careful of the bandaged areas he knew were under his pants._ _

__Viktor suddenly pulled away when Yuuri ran his hands through the man’s hair. He thought for a second that maybe he’d hurt him, but Yuuri had made sure he was gentle and avoid the left side of his head almost completely._ _

__“Is it bugging you?” Viktor huffed under his breath, “I should have asked…”_ _

__Yuuri quickly shut him up with a kiss, removed himself, then worked his way up Viktor’s strong jaw until he reached the curve._ _

__“I don’t mind at all, Love.” He reassured him, “Although I am a little sad you lost your earring.” He smiled down at him, “They made you look very sexy.”_ _

__“But hey,” Viktor grinned back, “Now people will know.”_ _

__“Know what?”_ _

__“That I’m gay.”_ _

__“You dork!” Yuuri giggled and let himself come back down to kiss the man senseless again, but it was difficult when they were both laughing so hard. They had to pull away for air eventually, letting themselves calm down._ _

__But when they came apart Viktor’s eyes were steely again, and he leaned in for more, latching onto a particularly sensitive spot on Yuuri’s collarbone, making him let out a yelp._ _

__“Wait!” He pushed the man back into the chair, “What if they hear us?”_ _

__Viktor reached onto the side table and pulled out a small remote control and clicked it, then suddenly the cabin speakers came on and a familiar guitar riff filled the air._ _

__“Are you kidding?”_ _

__“I’m really not.”_ _

__Yuuri just snorted and still slipped of Viktor’s lap, much to his dismay, but then he crouched low, gripping Viktor’s uninjured thigh tight._ _

__Oh._ _

__Oh god._ _

__The look in his eye was wild, animalistic; it was a rare sight. Viktor thought himself lucky to be the only one to ever see this look. Yuuri came forward and huffed a hot breath over his groin, making Viktor’s thighs clench around him and snake his fingers into his hair._ _

__He’d never get over that feeling. While he had been in surgery, one of the nurses told Yuuri and Otabek that there was very little chance of Viktor coming out with no nerve damage, considering the placement of the nail and how he’d gotten them out. Luckily, there was none, and despite the bandages wrapped tightly around his palms and the slight ache that was lessened from the Advil he had taken moments before, he still cupped Yuuri’s head gently, never pushing, just as he always did. Maybe, in this moment, things were not as different as Yuuri originally thought._ _

__“Tell me what you want.” Yuuri teased, resting his head gently on Viktor’s thigh._ _

__“Yuuri.” He groaned, “You know exactly what I want.”_ _

__“I do, but say it. Beg me for it.”_ _

__“You’re an animal!” He groaned, “I’ve created a monster.”_ _

__“Ask me.” His eyes were dark, serious._ _

_She’s got a smile it seems to me,_

_Reminds me of childhood memories,_

__“Yuuri, please suck me. Daddy’s desperate, please.”_ _

__So Yuuri did._ _

_Where everything_

_Was as fresh as the bright blue sky._

__He quickly undid Viktor’s belt and zipper, disposing of the long leather strap and roughly pulling the zipper, uncaring if it broke or not._ _

_Now and then when I see her face,_

_It takes me away to that special place,_

__Viktor was already at half-mast when he uncovered him, precum just beginning to dribble at the tip. Yuuri stared up at him, dark chocolate eyes with tiny flecks of amber blown wide in arousal and glistening. They were dark pools that Viktor was happy to drown in._ _

_And if I stare too long,_

_I’ll probably break down and cry,_

__Yuuri took him in slowly, drawing out the moment for his own gain. Viktor filled out quickly, absent-minded hands tightening a bit in Yuuri’s hair but not enough to hurt. When Yuuri’s nose nestled into the soft trail of hairs at the base, Viktor let out a loud groan, loud enough to reach over the music._ _

_Oh, oh, oh  
Sweet child o' mine_

__The boy didn’t let up, tongue swirling the tip and flicking the slit as he pulled up, laving and tightening around the shaft as he went down, sending Viktor to another place. He felt Viktor tightened and tense, grip his hair a little tighter, and he pulled off with a loud _pop,_ earning him a growl from the older man. _ _

_Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Sweet love of mine_

__“I want to see your eyes.” Yuuri said, standing and untying his sweatpants. “Let me.”_ _

__He climbed over Viktor’s legs again and settled against him, trying to lower himself down immediately but Viktor gripped his hips tight, not letting him down._ _

__“What are you doing?”_ _

__“Please,” He almost sobbed, “Please hurt me, Viktor. I-I want it…”_ _

_She’s got eyes of the bluest skies’_

_As if they thought of rain._

__“No, Yuuri, I-“ He looked into the boy’s glossy eyes and cupped his head again, trying to make sense of the situation. He wasn’t so sure about this; he’d always wanted it to be a good experience for Yuuri, all about Yuuri._ _

__“You can do it, please…” The boy pleaded._ _

__Maybe if this was what Yuuri needed right now, it wouldn’t be so bad._ _

_I’d hate to look into those eyes_

_And see an ounce of pain._

__Viktor spat into his hand and lowered it under, coating himself in the saliva and precome as well as Yuuri’s hole. If he was going to give in and give this to Yuuri, he at least wanted some solace that it wasn’t so bad._ _

_Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place_

_Where as a child I’d hide_

__Bottoming out was agonizingly slow. Viktor could tell it was hurting Yuuri, as hard as the boy tried to play it off like it wasn’t, so he made sure to take his time despite the boy pushing down trying desperately to get the friction he needed. In a last-ditch effort to stop from pushing up, Viktor ground his teeth hard until it hurt, throwing his head back and running his fingers through the boy’s hair again in an attempt to keep with reality and not lose himself._ _

_And pray for the thunder and the rain_

_To quietly pass me by._

__“Thank you…” Yuuri sobbed into his neck, slowly rocking his hips. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…”_ _

__Viktor let him cry quietly, cradling the back of his head gently as they both rocked against each other. There was no rush to reach a climax, no impending meeting or interruption that would waltz through the door at any moment; it was just them up in the air, high above the clouds whilst leaving Santa Fe behind. Nothing could change that._ _

__The tug was almost too much. Saliva was very poor lubricant, and the precome spilling into Yuuri was not much help either. Both were tense and on edge, almost over stimulated, but it was cathartic. They were louder than the music, even Viktor almost reached over to the remote control to turn it up, but his hands quickly snapped back when Yuuri made a rather delicious noise._ _

__Yuuri, surprisingly, came first. It was so unlike him that it almost startled Viktor. The boy’s rocking became sporadic and desperate, and his sobs turned into quick breathy moans, and suddenly he was spilling onto Viktor’s t-shirt. Waves of sympathy pleasure rolled through Viktor, and he found himself coming too, slamming up into Yuuri with a loud _squelch._ _ _

__Yuuri was still crying when he pulled away, but he managed to catch Viktor’s lips in a kiss, and they took that slow too. Neither made a move to pull out or away, they just stayed like that for a few moments, chest to chest, Viktor still inside, as close as humanly possible. They were one person in that moment, and it helped sooth both, forgetting completely about being almost torn from each other just days before._ _

__They managed to clean up before they landed in London, both sleeping the rest of the way. All of the family met up on the tarmac, not saying anything about the state both men were in._ _

__“They have to fill up.” Mila told him, “So it’s going to be a few hours.”_ _

__“We should go into London,” Otabek cut in, “I’ve never been before.”_ _

__“That’s a good idea!” Georgi swooned, “I once visited the Millennium Wheel with Anya, I will never forget it. I’d love to go back and relive the bittersweet memories-“_ _

__“You’re insufferable.” Viktor chuckled, wrapping an arm around Yuuri’s shoulders. “Let’s go so we actually have time.”_ _

__Despite Viktor’s condition, he insisted that the medication they gave him at the hospital, accompanied by his mimosas and Advil, had made him more than numb, and he could barely feel a thing. His limp wasn’t as bad as it had been the first day, yes, but Yuuri still wondered whether Viktor was playing it down or not._ _

__Regardless, Viktor was stubborn and putting up a fight, and if he could put up with the pain in his legs Yuuri could put up with the pain in his backside, so they took a cab to the downtown area and got to seeing the sights._ _

__Viktor and Georgi knew just about everywhere that was anywhere in London. They dragged the rest of the group to many expensive sweet and antique shops, to famous monuments around the town, and lots of fancy buildings that carried memories for them. Although, most of the memories were Georgi’s tragic tales of long lost love._ _

__As the sun set further in the sky and the air became cooler they slowed down a bit. There was a stand with mulled wine, so each of them got some and bundled up a bit, thankful for their Russia-ready jackets._ _

__“We should probably head out but,” Georgi looked around, “St. Paul’s Cathedral is just over there!” He pointed, “One last stop?”_ _

__“You guys go on without us, I want to take Yuuri somewhere before we go.”_ _

__Yuuri shot him a confused look but didn’t say anything. Nobody objected so they walked off in the direction of the cathedral._ _

__“Whatever you’re showing me better be pretty damn cool.” Yuuri snapped at him playfully, “I’m a big fan of Anglican architecture.”_ _

__“Oh, I’m sure.” Viktor retorted sarcastically with a laugh, “I’m sure you’ll find my sites much more exciting than Georgi’s.” He grabbed his hand and led the boy away, both walking slowly to another block of the city. Last time they were here Yuuri didn’t really get the chance to walk around or look at anything, so he was glad they made time. Since it was getting darker the streets weren’t as crowded as they would usually be, but the streetlamps provided ample light to see the street signs and buildings._ _

__“The destination is on your left.” Viktor suddenly broke Yuuri out of his stupor._ _

__“Uhh…” He stared up at the large sign over the door, “What the hell is… Intoxicated?”_ _

__“It’s a store. Chris owns it.”_ _

__“Well, now I’m really scared.”_ _

__“Just-“ Viktor tightened his grip on Yuuri’s arm and led him in. The building was dimly lit, but he could still see that it was quite clean and expensive. There was a counter to their left and a display case to the right, with a large mannequin dressed in lingerie, holding a whip, with six-inch heels to top it all off. An employee behind the counter greeted them and waved, and quickly went back to whatever they were doing._ _

__“Of course.” Yuuri shook his head, “Of course Chris owns a sex shop.”_ _

__“Oh, not just a sex shop-“ Viktor pulled him in further, “That’s not really Chris’ thing. It’s a Luxury and Antique Passion Boutique.”_ _

__“That’s a fancy way of saying ‘expensive sex shop’, why are we in here?”_ _

__“… For sex stuff.”_ _

__“Yeah, _I know that,_ but what in particular?” _ _

__“I thought you could browse.” He motioned all around him, “Anything you’d like! Just tell me.”_ _

__“I’ve never done anything like this!” Yuuri sputtered, “I-I’m not even old enough to be in here…” He trailed off, eyes locking on a particularly girthy dildo on the shelf._ _

__“Then I will help you. Just say yes or no!” He pulled Yuuri into the back to where some of the less-crowded shelves were. Yuuri could tell it was a more expensive area without even looking at the price tags._ _

__“How about this?” Viktor held up a small black plug._ _

__“S-Sure, if you think that I’ll enjoy it…”_ _

__“It’s even got- Yuuri, it’s got VIBRATION SETTINGS!” He pressed a button and sure enough the air was filled with a quiet whirring noise._ _

__“You’re like a kid in a candy store.” Yuuri laughed, “What about this?” He walked up to a display, reaching out and touching the soft silk of the outfit. It was black, with crystal-like gems across one shoulder and down the arm. It was beautifully made, and when Yuuri moved the fabric a bit he discovered there was also half a skirt on the other side, red accented underneath._ _

__“Holy…” Viktor took a step towards it, “Please? I have absolutely no objections.”_ _

__Yuuri made a move to grab the price tag._ _

__“No! No, don’t even look at the price. We’re getting it. It’s settled.” He grabbed the plug in hand, and pulled something else off the shelf, before pulling Yuuri to the front counter and whipping out his credit card. “We’ll take these, and that set by the window.” Yuuri blushed a bit at the use of the word _we._ _ _

__“Oh, and do you have any of that body glitter stuff? The kind that tastes like cherries?”_ _

__~~~_ _

__The walk back to meet the others was agonizing, trying to hide the label of the bag under his arm. He just hoped none of them asked any questions._ _

__They made it to Moscow by the morning, all of them piling into the SUV at the other side except for Otabek who was getting picked up. They said their goodbyes as Viktor’s staff placed their luggage in the back, and took off towards home._ _

__By the time they got out of the car, Yuuri had had enough of sleeping. The staff took their bags up to their room so he moved to the living room immediately, sprawling himself across Yuri’s lap and startling him from his video game._ _

__“What the fuck-“ He yelped, then frowned when he saw who it was. “Oi, Katsudon, how was America? Judging by your shiner, I take it not great.”_ _

__“Dumb.” Yuuri answered truthfully, “America was dumb. Never go to America, Yuri.” He groaned, rolling over and off the blonde’s lap._ _

__“It couldn’t have been that bad if Beka was there.” Yuri scoffed, “How is he, by the way?”_ _

__“Good. He says hi, by the way. Also, he’ll phone you later.”_ _

__Viktor came in the room and fell back against the couch too, sitting on Yuuri’s legs with his own legs across his cousin’s._ _

__“There’s another couch over their, shithead, maybe you should use it!” He shoved Viktor’s long legs off his lap, making the man wince a bit. “What happened to you?”_ _

__“What _didn’t_ happen to me is the real question.” _ _

__“You probably deserved it.”_ _

__“That’s nice, thanks.” Viktor snapped sarcastically._ _

__“Sounds like an eventful time.”_ _

__“Oh, it was. Be glad you weren’t there.” Yuuri added, “How was St. Petersburg while we were gone?”_ _

__“Boring as shit, as usual.” He adjusted his headset and returned to the game, “Lilia and I did go see the ballet, though, that was pretty neat.” The blond entered the game again and the room was suddenly filled with the sound of gunfire. “It was weird not having to speak English for a whole two weeks except for at school.” He reached over beside them to turn the volume up and that’s when he noticed it._ _

__Viktor turned his head to catch Yuuri’s in a quick kiss and the hair on the side of his face fell back a bit._ _

__“Holy shit-“ He dropped his controller, almost falling of the couch. “Vitya, what the fuck? Are you missing an ear?”_ _

__“I told you,” Viktor frowned, “It was an eventful trip.”_ _

__“What- How- Is everybody else okay? Katsudon, do you have both your ears? What about Beka is he-“_ _

__“Otabek is fine, and I have both my ears.” Yuuri quickly reassured him, “Like we said, it was rough.”_ _

__“That’s fucking gnarly…” Yuri sat forward, “You guys still fuck?”_ _

__“Yura!” Viktor snapped at him._ _

__“What? I’m genuinely curious! I could never-“_ _

__“It’s already starting, hey?” Mila entered the room, Georgi following close behind. “The never ending sibling rivalry commences once again. How did you live without somebody to argue with, Yuratchka?”_ _

__“I don’t need to argue with anybody.” Yuri growled, “I did just fine while you were gone. Better than fine. It was a productive break.”_ _

__“He sat in front of the television for hours.” Lilia called from the kitchen, “Yelling at people he didn’t know.”_ _

__They all laughed at Yuri, but even he laughed a bit too. Seeing Yuuri laugh like that made Viktor feel a lot better, about what happened in New Mexico and what happened on the plane. A wave of relief washed over him, and he relaxed back onto Yuuri, bringing his feet up and onto his cousin’s lap again, but this time there were no objections._ _

__This would be over soon. He’d take care of this _employer.__ _

__~~~_ _

__“What time is Chris coming?” Yuuri called around his toothbrush._ _

__“His flight arrived an hour ago, so he should be here any minute.” Viktor answered back from the other room, struggling to tie his tie evenly. “Yuuri, when you’re done could you come here?”_ _

__Yuuri spat and washed his mouth out before putting his toothbrush away and walking into the other room. With his still injured hands Viktor had tied quite the knot around his neck, and it looked completely out of place with the rest of his well-fitted suit. He laughed and shook his head, walking up to the taller man and adjusting the piece of fabric._ _

__“You’re such a goof.”_ _

__“You love it.”_ _

__“I do, but one of these days I’m not going to be around to tie your tie for you.” He smirked, “What if I’m out grocery shopping or something.”_ _

__“Then I’ll be in big trouble, I guess.” Yuuri finished and Viktor leaned down, arm wrapped tightly around the boys waist and pulling him close, kissing him long and deep._ _

__The door suddenly swung open, making Yuuri’s eyes shoot up from their half-lidded state, but Viktor didn’t pull away right away._ _

__“Ew, get a room.”_ _

__“This is our room.” Viktor snapped at Chris, “We have a room, and you’re in it.”_ _

__The Swiss man just shrugged._ _

__“I just wanted to let you know the car was downstairs.”_ _

__“So you had to barge in?” Yuuri asked._ _

__“Well, Mila offered to come get you but I thought where’s the fun in that, eh? I wanted to see if I could catch you in the act. Louise told me you two stopped by the store the other day.” Yuuri’s face flushed bright red and he hid it in Viktor’s chest with a loud, dramatic groan, but Viktor just laughed._ _

__“It had so much more inventory than I remember, you really cleaned that place up.” He wound his arm around Yuuri’s midsection and led him towards the door._ _

__“I know,” Chris walked out in front of them, “Stephen’s helped immensely, though, I can’t take all the credit.”_ _

“Is Stephen this new _assistant_ you were telling me about?” 

__They began their descent on the stairs._ _

__“What’s with the air quotes around assistant? He’s just my assistant, even if the things we do outside of work and in work aren’t always… safe for work.”_ _

__“Yeah, yeah, that’s what I thought.” Viktor snickered, opening the large oak front doors. “Where are the others?”_ _

__“Here!” Yuri came rushing down the stairs, Mila and Georgi in tow. “Sorry, I had to drag these two shits out of their bathrooms.”_ _

__“Make up is an art,” Georgi explained, “And you can’t rush art.”_ _

__“Whatever! Let’s go.” Yuri brushed past Yuuri, Viktor, and Chris swiftly, making his way to the car first._ _

__“What’s got him so excited for the party?” Mila asked, adjusting the hem of her dress as they slowly made their way down the steps._ _

__“Otabek is going to be there.” Viktor explained, “They haven’t seen each other since his birthday.”_ _

__“Poor Yura,” Georgi crowed, “Kept away from his love for so long.”_ _

__“Yeah, Altin’s a real dreamboat, even if he’s a little short.”_ _

__“Hey, what would Ms. Crispino think?” Chris inquired, almost completely serious._ _

__“Sara is a lost cause.” She sighed, “Mickey keeps her on a tight leash, and she doesn’t have the heart to tell him no.”_ _

__Yuuri recognized the name Mickey as a nickname for Michele Crispino, and it made his heart jump a little bit as they all got into the limousine. He had hoped to go his life never meeting the man that had altered his Viktor that day, but it seemed inevitable._ _

__“Why are you making that face?” Viktor asked him as they buckled up._ _

__“We just really need to start locking the door.”_ _

__~~~_ _

__The banquet hall was quite beautiful and luxurious looking, similar to the restaurant where he and Viktor had their first date. Just like that time, he felt out of place and rather tense, but Viktor’s hand never left the small of his back, and that was arguably the only thing keeping him from a meltdown._ _

__There were many people here, only a few he recognized, one of which being Celestino. To Yuuri, and Viktor’s, surprise it didn’t affect him as he thought it would initially. As long as the man didn’t talk to Yuuri, he’d be fine._ _

__“Oh, Minako!” Viktor gracefully led him over to the dessert table where the woman is standing, “How’s St. Petersburg treating you and the others?”_ _

__“Just fine,” She eyed up Yuuri then averted her attention back to Viktor, “I heard about your little brush with the West-Coast boys down in Santa Fe. Word on the street is it was Mr. King’s doing.”_ _

__“It’s not just the word on the street, Mr. King was definitely involved.” He said calmly. “Why do you say that like it wasn’t?”_ _

__“Lee was just telling me about it. He said it wasn’t Mr. King. Why don’t you talk to him?”_ _

__“Seung-Gil is here?” He raised his head and looked around, “Can you show me?” Minako nodded and started leading him away, “Oh, Yuuri, Georgi is just over-“_ _

__“I’ll be fine by myself.” He pushed the taller man’s chest. “Go talk.”_ _

__Viktor nodded, still a bit unsure, but there were many of his men in the room with orders to keep an eye on Yuuri, and he trusted him not to leave like he said, no matter who asked him to._ _

__So Yuuri stood by the hor d'oeuvres table and sipped his champagne, never letting it leave his sight. Viktor had told him that even though they’d be in good company, you never know what could happen, so we was being extra cautious._ _

__“Is it your first time?”_ _

__The voice made him tense up again. He wasn’t expecting anybody to talk to him and he knew exactly whom it was as soon as the voice hit his ears. He spun around to face the man, but didn’t answer right away. He didn’t even know if he could._ _

__“At one of these fancy parties, is it your first time?”_ _

__“It is.” Yuuri surprised himself with an answer, staring up at the tall man. He was very much the same as Yuuri remembered, maybe his hair was a little thinner and he had facial hair, but otherwise he looked the same. His Italian accent was a little easier to understand now, Yuuri thought, but that might have just been all the time he’d spent around people with accents in the past few months._ _

__“They get easier, I assure you.” Celestino laughed, “Who did you come with?”_ _

__“Viktor, actually.” It struck a chord in Yuuri that not only did this man not remember the _first_ time they met, but he didn’t even remember him from the last time they met. _ _

__“And he left you all by yourself? How rude.”_ _

__“He’s a busy man.” Yuuri spat, trying to hide his disdain behind the rim of his champagne flute._ _

__“So I’ve heard, but has he really been working lately?” The Italian man sighed, “I heard his last trip was not very successful.”_ _

__“I beg to differ.” Yuuri said through a clenched jaw, “There were highs and lows, but it was very successful.”_ _

__“You work for him then?” Celestino ask, picking up a small piece of food off the table. “You look a little young and… not Russian.”_ _

__“Well, y’know, something like that.”_ _

__“Celestino Cialdini.” He held out a large hairy hand for Yuuri to shake, and he did. Gripping it tight like if he squeezed the memory out of Celestino maybe he would remember him._ _

__“Yuuri Katsuki.”_ _

__“Well, Yuuri Katsuki, if you’re ever in need of one, you always have a job with me. Here’s my card.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white business card, but Yuuri held out his hand._ _

__“I quite like my position with Viktor, thank you very much.” He plastered a grin on his face, “But I appreciate your kind offer.”_ _

__The man nodded respectfully and went on his way, clearing the air around Yuuri like wind blowing away the fog. He let out a sigh of relief, leaning back against the table behind him. The braveness had just come from out of nowhere, and it was startling, but Yuuri was almost glad it had happened. When he first came to Russia he told himself it was a new beginning, and this meaning with Celestino had given him a rush of excitement. He could say no, and it felt _good._ He was no longer reliant on other people, no longer desperate for an income in fear of when his next meal might be or who was his next captor. Yuuri felt free in that moment. _ _

__“Are you enjoying yourself, Yuuri?” Georgi smiled at him, grabbing a flute of champagne of one of the platters._ _

__“I think I am, actually.” He smiled back, “What about you?”_ _

__“Not really.” He sighed, “Anya’s here.”_ _

__“What?” Yuuri looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the infamous Anya. He could tell whom she was right away, long brown hair cascading down her shoulders, too much makeup, sitting on the lap of a man who looked much, much different from Georgi. It was almost comical how quick he picked her out._ _

__“Do you think there’s something wrong with me?” Georgi leaned against the table and stared over at her dreamily._ _

__“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you, it just wasn’t meant to be. Just wait, you’ll find somebody.”_ _

__“Do you really think so?” Georgi beamed over at the boy, “That means so much coming from you, Yuuri, you have no idea.”_ _

__It was so funny to him that the older man, who had had many more romantic partners than Yuuri, considered him an expert in the field. Viktor was his one and only steady relationship, and it was not orthodox by any means, but it was still the same as any other relationship, he supposed._ _

__Viktor suddenly came down the stairs again, speaking to a much shorter, much younger Korean man dressed in a similar suit to him. That must be Lee that they were talking about earlier. He looked young, not as young as Yuuri, but still young. The look in his eyes, though, that was not young. Seung-Gil was much wiser than his years gave off, Yuuri was sure of it. The way he held himself was so similar to Viktor it was uncanny, and intimidating, not sexy like it was with Viktor._ _

__Viktor bowed to him, and Lee bowed back, and he made his way back over to Yuuri and his brother. Yuuri knew not to ask what they were talking about, even if it did seem to involve him and what happened in Santa Fe, but Viktor leaned in and whispered to him._ _

__“We have to talk later.” Yuuri just nodded and passed Viktor the champagne flute, which he accepted with a small thanks. He wrapped his arm back around Yuuri. “Anything exciting happen while I was gone? You had a goofy look on your face.”_ _

__“Um, yeah actually.” He stared down at the ground, “Celestino Cialdini spoke to me.”_ _

__Viktor’s eyes darkened and his arm tensed around Yuuri._ _

__“It was fine, though, we just talked. He didn’t recognize me.” Viktor’s arm didn’t relax but his face did, “And Georgi saw Anya.”_ _

__“Anya’s here?” Viktor asked his brother, looking around. “Did you go say hello?”_ _

__“I could never!” Georgi said dramatically, “She’s broken my heart more times than I could count, and I shall never forgive her until she comes crawling back to me!”_ _

__“What’s this about breaking hearts?” Mila returned, a beautiful woman with dark olive skin on her arm that Yuuri recognized to be Sara, Michele’s apparent sister. She was wearing a gorgeous violet dress that complimented Mila’s red on almost perfectly, like they had planned it._ _

__“Georgi is just waxing poetic about Anya again.” Viktor explained, causing both the girls to groan._ _

__“What’s with this?” Chris suddenly joined them, sidling up to Sara and resting a hand on her lower back. “Soon Georgi’s going to be the only straight shooter, people will start to complain.”_ _

__“People are already complaining.” Viktor groaned, and everybody in the group laughed, causing quite the ruckus. Never before had the Bratva had such a young bunch leading it, and it had caused quite a stir in their circle, as well as Viktor’s situation with Yuuri. They should have been more careful, more quiet about it, but the damage had been done, and the situation in Santa Fe had shut up a lot of complainers after they received their portion of the shipment, the Crispinos included._ _

__Suddenly a man marched up to Sara and got in Chris’ space, giving him a glare, but Chris didn’t seem to react._ _

__“What are you doing touching my sister like that, Giacometti?”_ _

__This must be Michele._ _

__“You know I mean no harm, Mickey Mouse, I-“_ _

__“You always mean harm!” The Italian pointed at him, “And don’t call me that anymore!”_ _

__Sara and Mila both covered their mouths to stifle their laughter, but Michele still noticed. He turned to both of them and started berating them quietly, but nobody seemed to take it too seriously so Yuuri thought he shouldn’t say anything. In fact, the playful banter reminded him of his friends back in Santa Fe._ _

__“How are you feeling?” Viktor asked him, handing him back his champagne._ _

__“I feel good.” Yuuri smiled, “This is good.”_ _

__Yuuri decided then that yeah, things really weren’t so different._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An Important Note Of Importance: If you didn't catch Viktor's "joke" in the beginning about people knowing he was gay, in the 80's men would only get their right ear pierced so other gay men knew they were queer. I thought I should explain since some of you might not know.
> 
> Chris is my favourite, oh my god. I always love introducing the new characters, and no matter how much I enjoy violence, gore, angst, and smut it's sometimes good to just let loose and write some humour. 
> 
> We will return to our regularly scheduled shit show in Chapter 16, with some EXTREME VIOLENCE. WARNING: I MEAN EXTREMELY DISTURBING VIOLENCE THAT IS MUCH WORSE THAN ANYTHING I'VE WRITTEN BEFORE THIS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
> 
> Also, for those of you asking, Viktor's ear is completely gone.


	16. Rooster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Rooster' by Alice In Chains.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you asking, no Viktor's ear is gone. It shan't return. Say 'Ba-Bye lil' Sebastian' to Viktor's left ear. RIP. Hasta La Vista. Never again. *finger guns* 
> 
> I had to split Chapter 16 into two parts and add it onto Chapter 17, so it's not as disturbing, but it's getting there. It'll get worse. I hope you like the disturbing parts, because I know I do. I'm about to introduce Mr. King and I'm very excited! Big things to come for this fic! 
> 
> Also, just a reminder, miconauta made a playlist on Spotify for the fic, and is updating the songs as the chapters come out so you can go here for a Spoiler Free Playlist: https://play.spotify.com/user/virginia.prado/playlist/5UECt7wezhOkcKecSgAkHx
> 
> Or you can go here for the COMPLETE playlist, which is all 20 chapters: https://play.spotify.com/user/saccharine.princen/playlist/5ePfH34B7XARfzj6z7Dbe2

"Viktor, could you please pass me the ice burg lettuce?” 

“What?” 

“The lettuce, Viktor.” 

“Isn’t ice burg lettuce the name of a band?” 

“You’re hopeless!” Yuuri shooed him away from the counter, reaching over to grab the lettuce off of the cutting board. Viktor had insisted that night that he helped with dinner, something about being cooped up in the hospital and wanting to have some _quality family time._

“You could have just said lettuce, Yuuri, you should know better by now.” He chuckled, continuing the job Yuuri had given to him of chopping the beets. 

“Known what, that you have the attention span of an ant?” 

“Why you little-“ Viktor abandoned his work on the counter and wrapped his arms tightly around Yuuri’s chest and spun him a bit. They were still being cautious of the wound, but in the past few weeks it had begun to heal quite quickly. No doubt there would be a scar, but it was a small price to pay. 

“You’re getting beet juice all over my sweater!” 

“Um, excuse you,” Viktor gently placed the boy on his feet but didn’t loosen his grip. “That’s my sweater, and I don’t really mind if it means I can do this.” Viktor wrapped his arm around the small of the boys back and dipped him a bit, careful not to strain his stomach. Yuuri laughed again and wrapped his arms around the man’s neck, pulling him closer. They both ignored the sound of the front doors opening, assuming it was Mila coming home from work, but apparently that wasn’t the case. 

“Pakhan!” Anatoly rushed in through the side entrance behind the island, Dmitry in tow. _“The dog and the man, they’re here, sir.” _When Viktor broke away and turned his head, allowing Yuuri to do the same, they were met with a very unusual sight. The man who had tortured Viktor, and captured them both, was bound and gagged, kneeling low on the floor, suit and face an absolute mess. He was bleeding from a large wound on his face and somewhere on his stomach because there was a large patch of dry blood on the front of his dress shirt. Corduroy man had obviously taken quite the beating, but Yuuri couldn’t really find it in him to feel bad about it.__

_“Oh- Fu- Christ, boys!” He lifted Yuuri to his feet, _”What did I say about business in the house! Look what you did to the carpet!_ Goddammit…” He gripped the bridge of his nose tightly between two fingers, “Go put him in the basement, I’m busy.” Anatoly and Dmitry didn’t say anything else, just picked up the panicking man and carried him off. _

____“Sorry, Yuuri, I didn’t-“_ _ _ _

____“Did you ask to bring him here?” Viktor froze, staring down into Yuuri’s eyes._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, um… Is- Is that okay? I can get them to take him somewhere else if-“_ _ _ _

____“No, just…” The boy turned to the stove again and continued his earlier work, “Good. I’m glad you got him.” Yuuri looked a little sick, and Viktor wondered if he was remembering what had happened to them or if he was thinking about what was about to happen to the man. Either way, he would have to have a talk with Anatoly and Dmitry after he finished up. Work could wait, though, he was spending time with Yuuri right now._ _ _ _

____Viktor snaked an arm around him and kissed him on the cheek, then went to go get Makkachin from the car, but before he could Yuuri looked over at him and snorted suddenly, making him squint._ _ _ _

____“What?”_ _ _ _

____“Earlier when you…“ He imitated the motion Viktor had done earlier. “You got beet juice on your face.”_ _ _ _

____“DAMMIT!” Viktor quickly rushed into the hallway bathroom, almost knocking the beets off the counter. “This is the last time I help with dinner!”_ _ _ _

____~~~_ _ _ _

____The hours before the door to the basement opened were agonizingly slow, just like the plane ride to Moscow. The Russians showed up at his house in front of his wife and kids, put him in a dog crate, and shipped him. As soon as he got off the plane he began to put up a fight, but he was easily controlled. It only took a single punch with Anatoly’s rings to knock him clean out._ _ _ _

____When the door finally did open, he began panicking again, aching muscles straining to push himself up against the far wall to get away from the entrance. Viktor walked through, expression completely neutral, in his everyday comfortable clothes as he had been in the kitchen. There was a chair on the far side of the room next to a large iron box and a furnace, but Viktor didn’t move there immediately. He crossed the room and removed the ball gag from the man’s mouth, then sat down, completely silent._ _ _ _

____He was afraid to speak in case Viktor lashed out, and he didn’t even know if he could, considering how much pain his mouth was in from being gagged for hours on end with no relief. He tried moving his aching jaw around as he watched Viktor light a cigarette and straddle the chair, just as he had done to him weeks earlier. He had tried hiding, knowing that if Lev’s son was out there still he would find him eventually, he would figure out who he was, it would only be a matter of time, but he never expected it to be _this_ quick. _ _ _ _

____“How are you this evening, José?” He asked, voice muffled by the cigarette a bit._ _ _ _

____“I-I’m just great.” He tried to retort, but his shaking in fear and cold was probably just sad rather than witty. “H-How ‘bout you?”_ _ _ _

____“You know what? I’m actually doing pretty well.” He took a long drag, “No nerve damage in my hands or face. What a lucky guy, right?” He held up his hands, wiggling all his fingers. “Nothing wrong with my leg, too, you really don’t have an knack for torture.”_ _ _ _

____“What do you want?”_ _ _ _

“I don’t _want_ anything. I have everything I could ever want, the question is what am I going to do to you, that’s what you really want to know.” Viktor tapped the cigarette, letting the ashes fall to the ground. “Have you ever been to Greece, José?” 

____“Greece?”_ _ _ _

____“What, are you deaf?” Viktor snorted loudly, taking another puff. “Oh, wait, that’s me, because you cut my fucking ear off.” He blew out and rested his head on his hand, tapping a finger to his lips. “I’ve been to Greece. Lev and Yakov had some sort of business there when I was sixteen. We weren’t really interested in all that so my Auntie Lilia took my cousin and I to the museum.” Viktor was almost rambling, but José was too afraid to say anything. “Yura was just four at the time, so we had to move quickly because four year olds have the attention span of a dog, which I’m sure you already know since you have three young ones.” The Russian took one last drag before he dropped the cigarette onto the concrete, snuffing it with his shoe. “But there was one exhibit I remember so vividly. It was on ancient Greece, and their torture methods. Do you know what a Brazen Bull is, José?”_ _ _ _

____José shook his head._ _ _ _

____“Okay, well, get a load of this.” He scooted the chair forward, “They would take this giant metal bull statue, and put criminals in it then seal it up. Then they would light a fire under it so they would slowly cook to death inside of it. Do you see what I’m getting at?” José’s eyes grew wide, “I don’t have one here, obviously, this isn’t ancient Greece and I’m not Phalaris, but I do have this baby right here.” He patted the large metal oven. “That’s for the grand finale, but I’d like to take my time with you.” He stood from the chair, setting it aside. “Did you know Yuuri could hear us from the other room? Did you do that on purpose?”_ _ _ _

____“I-I didn’t know!” José cried out, “I had no idea, really-“_ _ _ _

____“Even if that was the truth,” Viktor gripped the man’s chin tightly, “You still brought him into this. Business is business, I get it, but family is where I draw the line.” Viktor grinned widely, “It will be a pleasure making you regret every decision you’ve ever made in your short, pathetic life.”_ _ _ _

____~~~_ _ _ _

_Ain’t found a way to kill me yet._

_Eyes burn with stinging sweat._

____“Do you like music, José?” Viktor yelled over the record player, picking up another nail._ _ _ _

_Seems every path leads me to nowhere._

____“I never really liked music like this until Yura started getting into it.” He brought the hammer down fast, ignoring the man’s screams as the copper dug through bone and tendons in his arm._ _ _ _

_Wife and kids, household pet._

____“Even then, I was a little iffy.” He used the claw of the hammer to bend the ends so the man bound to the chair couldn’t pull his arms free, causing José to scream again at the alien feeling and thrash around. “But it’s grown on me. You can get everything on vinyl now, it’s great.”_ _ _ _

_Army green was no safe bet._

____“Yuuri likes older stuff. Especially, you know, Queen and Boston and all that shit-“ He brought down the hammer again, this time on the man’s other arm. It caught on the bone a bit, making Viktor slip and tear through the muscle. “I mean, that’s all fine and dandy but sometimes you just have to let loose.”_ _ _ _

_The bullets scream from me to somewhere._

_“Here they come to snuff the rooster!”_ Viktor sang loudly, redoing his job on the man’s free arm. This time the dull nail made it through, it just took a bit more force into the swing. _”Yeah, here come the rooster, yeah!” _José began to sob loudly, snot and water dripping down his face, mixing with the blood that had splattered up from his arms. Unlike the nails he had used on Viktor, these were shorter but wider, and had much more rust. Viktor knew what he was doing when he picked them for José.__

______“You know what? It’s your lucky day.” Viktor grinned up at him, “I’m going to give you a couple extra, just because.” He pulled out another nail from the rusty old coffee can and brought it up to José’s chest, right above his collarbone._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Please!” The man begged, “I’m sorry for what I did to you-“_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh not me.” He leaned in close, “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I’m a big boy, I can take it, but what about Yuuri? Are you sorry for him?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I am!” José wailed, slamming his feet against the ground and shaking his head like a toddler having a tantrum. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Nikiforov!”_ _ _ _ _ _

_“I really don’t think you’re sorry yet, boy.” ___

________Viktor pulled the hammer back and brought it back down, hitting the nail dead on and sending José even further to the edge. He was glad he was on the man’s left side so he wasn’t screaming in his good ear. It would have been bloodcurdling to anybody else, but to Viktor it almost sounded as good as the music._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He pulled back, wiping his hands on the dirty rag he’d thrown on the ground, turning away from the hysterical man writhing in the chair. Viktor had all the time in the world, and he knew he would get the information as soon as he asked, so he lit himself another cigarette, and settled back into the chair, just watching._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________José eventually calmed again, breathing heavy still and looking rather pale, but still conscious and aware. His eyes were glossed over as he slumped in the chair, staring up at Viktor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You looked just like Lev.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Viktor’s eyes narrowed as he took a drag._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I know I look like Lev, you don’t have to remind me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No, I mean…” He huffed, adjusting himself best he could so he could look Viktor in the eye. “Before, in Santa Fe, you looked like Tatiana.” He paused to catch his breath before continuing, “You might… have Lev’s hair and shit but… just then I could have sworn you were him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It took Viktor aback at first. He’d never been told he looked like his mother, always Lev. If it were a different situation he might have even said thank you._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“The only things I can thank my father for are his good looks and his brutality.” He leaned back in the chair, “Both of which are a blessing and a curse.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You could have been great…” José whispered, “If only you hadn’t lost Lev so young, maybe he would have-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No.” Viktor interrupted, “I know what you are about to say, and the answer is no. I would still be a queer if Lev was still alive, I would still love Yuuri, and I would still hate him.” He stood again, “But he’s not here, and I don’t have to live in fear anymore, hiding away in my bedroom like I should be ashamed of who I am.” The Russian picked the X-ACTO knife off the floor and pushed the blade out. “Nobody makes decisions for me, and nobody will ever make me feel like a freak for being the way I am ever again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The man began screaming again, catching a second wind as Viktor moved towards him with the box cutter. It was old and rusty, like the nails, so the slow sawing motion against the rough cartilage of the man’s ear took longer than expected to get through, but Viktor didn’t mind. It didn’t bleed as much as he thought it would, unlike fingers and toes that always made a mess. When it was just hanging on by the lobe, Viktor became impatient and tore it off, causing the small tab of flesh to rip in half. At this point José had stopped making noises altogether, head bobbing a bit, almost completely unconscious from the blood loss and extreme pain._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oi,” Viktor slapped him hard across the face, flicking blood all over his lap. “You can’t fall asleep yet, we’re not finished.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Please…” the man rasped._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You’re lucky I’m not like you.” Viktor dropped the dismembered flesh on the floor, “I could have brought _your_ family here. Your daughter could be the one in this chair.” He gripped the man’s matted, greasy hair and pulled back. “Who is the employer?” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Why would I tell you-“ He chuckled darkly, “I know I’m as good as dead.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Because maybe I am like you.” He got closer, “Maybe I bandage your wounds, send an order out for your daughters and your wife. Bring them home, and we can all have a family reunion.” José began to cry again, shaking his head slowly. “So tell me, who’s the employer? Is it Mr. King?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“None of us have ever met them, it’s always a phone call.” He explained, fighting of unconsciousness. “But I don’t… I don’t think it’s King.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What makes you think it’s not?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Because we’ve intercepted his shipments before for the employer...” The man coughed loudly, “Please just kill me… I’m begging you…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Not yet, José, keep it together for just a bit longer. How do you normally get into contact with them? If it’s not through King, then is there a third party organization?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“They phone from a payphone, always… always changing their voice.” Viktor nodded, “The money is given to a third party or email transferred, but I don’t deal with that-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So where is the next interception due?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Spain…” The man coughed again, but this time there was a thick trail of blood slipping past his lips and down his chin, “Barcelona in a week… If you don’t believe me, ask the boys at the warehouse…” His eyes started to roll back in his head, obviously about to pass out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Thanks, José, you’ve been a great help.” Viktor gripped the back of the chair and dragged it across the room, but José didn’t complain. His head lolled from side to side with the motions, jerking back and forth as the legs of the chair caught in the cracks in the cement until Viktor placed him in front of the oven door, and tipped it over so he could push it in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“W-Wait…” José startled when his head hit the ground, “I-I told you! I told you about the shipments!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes, you did.” Viktor shut the door to the oven and turned it on, heat engulfing the man inside immediately. “But that doesn’t make up for what you did.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The man tried arguing, screaming, yelling, even begging Viktor for mercy, asking him to be reasonable, but the Russian didn’t even bother replying. He sat back in his chair and lit another cigarette, watching the temperature gauge on the old oven rise, and listening to the wails and moans come from inside the large metal box on the other side of the room, rising high above the music but not enough for anybody in the upper levels to hear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________To Viktor, it was the sound of victory, and he couldn’t help but feel content._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yuuri was sitting up in bed by the time he finished cleaning up and having a shower. He had his glasses on but no shirt, as the weather was warming quickly, and a book in his lap. Since it was so late the moonlight from the window bathed half his body in a cool glow, while the light from the bedside table lamp gave him a warm saturation. Viktor couldn’t help but feel it was such a coincidental metaphor for how they both were feeling; torn from both ends._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Hey, I’ve been waiting.” Yuuri took his glasses off and placed the bookmark on the page. “Are you finished?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, I’m done.” The Russian moved to the bathroom and dropped the towel in the hamper, then moved to the bed. Yuuri reached up and turned of the lamp as they settled in, the younger boy’s back flush against Viktor’s front, legs and arms tangled up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“How was it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yuuri…” Viktor gave him a warning tone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I know but… Did he give you what you needed?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes.” Viktor kissed the boy’s neck, “I also wanted to talk to you about something.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yuuri made a small hum in acknowledgement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“At the party the other day, do you remember the man Lee Seung-Gil?” Yuuri nodded, “He told me that there was word of this employer taking control of one of his clients factories in Barcelona. That man tonight convinced me that what he said was true.” Yuuri rolled over so he was facing Viktor, brown eyes narrowed and brow furrowed, a slight pout to his lips._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So… You have to go away again?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You will come too, right?” Viktor gently caressed the hair from his eyes, “I don’t know if I could leave you here, you would be safer with me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I know.” Yuuri agreed, “I’ll come, but I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to take all of this on by yourself. I want to help.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“There are others involved.” Viktor kissed his cheek, “It wouldn’t just be me. Minako, Emil, Georgi and Mila; they’d all be there too. There would always be somebody around for you.” The Russian reached up and ran his thumb along Yuuri’s cheekbone, “Yura could even come. He won’t complain if Otabek came.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yuuri nodded, reaching up and pressing a chaste kiss to Viktor’s lips._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I don’t take back what I said before.” He whispered to the older man, “I really want to learn. I need to be more independent.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Viktor laced their hands together, bringing them up and kissing across Yuuri’s knuckles._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We’ll start tomorrow then. We leave for Barcelona on Thursday.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We should get to bed then.” Viktor lied back and Yuuri settled into the crook of his arm, resting his head on his chest. “I love you, Viktor. No matter what happens.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I love you too.” He kissed the top of his head, “Nothing will happen. We’ll be fine.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Don’t have your arms so straight.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yuuri bent his arms a bit, but otherwise kept the gun pointed at the target in front of them. It felt a little cliché, going out to the back forty to shoot pop cans like teenagers who stole their parents’ gun, but he supposed it couldn’t be helped. The hot June sun was high in the sky, beating down on them and plastering Yuuri’s hair to his forehead. It reminded him that he hadn’t had a haircut since before he came to Russia, and maybe he was due for one._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Lower it a bit. It’ll shoot a little lower than the sight.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He did as he was told, shutting one eye and pointing it at the pop can again. Viktor’s arms were around him, squeezing him tight, trying to relax him in some areas and tense in others so he was prepared to pull the trigger. The boy took a deep breath, just as Viktor had told him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Good, you’re ready.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He pulled the trigger all at once, lifting his arms above his head not back like he had been instructed. Viktor told him the first time he had ever fired a gun he had made that mistake, and he had a black eye for weeks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The bullet missed, shooting off into the forest somewhere beyond the fence, but Yuuri still felt a rush. Excitement tingled through his hands, up his arms, all the way to his stomach. It felt strange, getting butterflies from such a dark task like this one._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oi, he’s never going to learn if his hair is in his face!” Yuri snapped at Viktor, pulling a hair tie off his wrist and handing it to the older boy. He already had his hair back, tied in a loose, messy bun, but it did the job. Yuuri took it, letting it snap over his wrist before bringing his hands behind his head and tying back the loose strands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Here, you’re missing some.” Viktor took it from him and batted his hands away gently, running his fingers through his bangs, and the longer hairs at the back of his neck so he could get all the locks that were long enough. When he finished, he stood back, looking at his handiwork with a smirk on his face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What’s so funny?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Nothing.” His smirk widened, “You just look really good like that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Shut the fuck up.” Yuri groaned, “Shoot the damn gun.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yuuri squared up again, just as Viktor told him. Now that his neck was exposed, the Russian’s breath was hot and distracting, but it did help to comfort him somewhat. He brought the gun back up, arms slightly bent and back straight. Viktor’s hands held his arms gently, helping him brace for the incoming shockwave._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Take a deep breath in,” Yuuri did as he was told, “Then fire as you exhale.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He did it, and the can exploded, sending tiny shards of aluminum everywhere. Viktor’s face lit up and he laughed, wrapping his arms around Yuuri and nuzzling into his neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Good job, Love, you’re a natural!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, please.” Yuri took a sip of his Kool Aid, “Not every enemy is going to stand still a couple yards a way begging you to shoot them.” He squared and raised one arm, still holding his pouch, straw in his mouth, and shot the entire row down off the fence._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“At least he knows now, Yura, it took you more than a day to get it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes, but we don’t have more than a day!” He snapped at Viktor, getting in his face. “We have hours before we get on that flight to Barcelona, and he’s still hitting soda cans off fences!” The blond involuntarily crushed the empty juice pouch in his fist, snarling up at Viktor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You’ll be there, right Yuri?” Yuuri asked him, lowering the gun._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Of course I will. Beka too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Then you’ll help me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The youngest made a frumpy face and dropped down to the ground beside the cooler, pulling out another Kool Aid._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I guess so…” He mumbled, stabbing it with a straw. “But I don’t want to babysit the whole time. I’ve never been to Spain, Beka and I want to go sightseeing.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You can go sightseeing.” Yuuri reassured him, “It will work out.” He sat down beside the youngest boy, holding out his hand to show he wanted a drink as well. Yuri handed him one, and he pulled Viktor gently down to sit with them on the warm grass._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It always does.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The hotel wasn’t as lavish as the others had been. It wasn’t five stars, probably not even four. It was one room with two beds, a desk, and a small HD television hidden in the corner of the room that you could only see if you were on the far bed. When they got there, they didn’t bother pushing the beds together, one would be enough for sure._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It was a big step down to what they had been accustomed too, but neither complained. They needed to lay low, and even Yura had shut up when they told him he could share a room with Otabek._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The clock on the wall was a harsh reminder of the minutes ticking by since Viktor left and Yuri went up to Otabek’s room. There were multiple guards, by the front door of the hotel and the entrance to the room, but it was still nerve wracking to be alone like this, and he wasn’t about to fall asleep to pass the time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He reached onto the bedside table and pulled out his phone, opening up the app Minami had convinced him to get. He rarely posted photos, maybe some here or there of Makkachin, but he did like that he could finally keep in contact with his friends._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The first photo was of Phichit. He was holding some sort of weird food and holding up his hand with a v for victory. He had a goofy look on his face that made Yuuri laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The second photo was from Yuuko of her and Takeshi on a date. By the table colour and the plates he could tell it was the diner, which was apparently also where he had proposed to her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He kept scrolling through the day’s posts. Most were from Phichit and Minami since they were at some sort of food truck festival, another from Yuuko, even one from Camille. It was nice. He felt almost like he was there, like he was still involved in their lives. He sighed, rolling over and burying his face in his pillow. He fought back the urge to go upstairs and as to hang out with Otabek and Yuri, because really he didn’t know the full nature of their relationship and would hate to interrupt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Please come back Viktor…” He mumbled, “I need you…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Suddenly, somebody burst through the front door of the room and launched themself onto the bed, tackling Yuuri. He let out a loud shriek, on the brink of a heart attack, until the person pulled back, grinning down at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Chris, what the fuck?” He was breathing heavily, “Why would you do that? Who let you in here?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“The Russians, of course.” He chuckled, “Yuuri, you’re so silly. I came to tell you that we’re done, Viktor’s outside waiting for you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh…” He sat up, “Thanks, I guess?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Don’t mention it.” Chris sat up off the bed, “And dress nicely for your man, please, he has something special in mind.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________With that he left, and Yuuri didn’t know what to do with himself. What did Viktor have planned? He stood off the bed and walked over to the suitcase. The nicest thing he had was the knitted cardigan Viktor had bought him a few weeks before, so he supposed that would do. He slipped on the sweater and a pair of black jeans then grabbed his phone off the table, hoping he wouldn’t be too hot. There was a bit of a breeze, and it was getting quite late, so he was sure he’d be fine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Some of Viktor’s men escorted him down to the lobby to their door where the other guards were. The Russian was wearing exactly what he had been when they had separated, a similar cardigan shawl with a dress shirt and tie underneath. The sight almost made Yuuri’s mouth water. Viktor looked absolutely incredible in it, especially when his trim trousers accompanied it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“All ready to go, love?” He held out a hand to the younger man, “We have a big night ahead of us.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you all know what's about to happen. 
> 
> You see the foreshadowing. 
> 
> You know.
> 
> The next Chapters (17-20) will be a bit longer, so I'm not sure when they'll be uploaded. Thanks for your patience!


	17. Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Heroes' by David Bowie.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long! I was finding it very difficult to write, but it is quite long and 2k of the 8k words are just pure smut and fluff, so I didn't think you would complain. 
> 
> Also, some new characters are introduced here! Exciting stuff before the big finale! It was so funny reading half of the comments that were just "FORESHADOWING? WHAT FORESHADOWING?!!!! TEDDY? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???!!!" and the rest knew EXACTLY what I was talking about. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!~

Spain, Yuuri was told, was a very accommodating place. 

Viktor didn’t hesitate to lace their fingers together, pulling Yuuri close against him. It was nice to flaunt their relationship for once and not fear. Nobody stared, or poked fun; it was as if they were completely normal people. Completely normal people with a dog, and neighbours, and a white picket fence, not a gun in their pocket like the one Yuuri could feel pressing into him through Viktor’s jacket. 

“Where are we going?” 

“It’s a surprise.” Was all he got in response, “But I think you will really enjoy yourself.” Viktor grinned down at him, practically beaming, and Yuuri couldn’t help but return the gesture. 

“Oh no,” He sighed, “If it’s your kind of surprise I sure am in for a treat.” 

“You have no idea.” Viktor snickered, which should have worried Yuuri more than it did. They walked in silence for a bit, just taking in the beautiful Barcelona scenery. Momentarily Yuuri and Viktor could have forgotten who they were, and where they came from. They could have forgotten about the men in suits trailing not too far behind, and the gun in their pocket, and the imminent threat on the horizon that could turn everything upside down; they were just two nobodies on vacation. 

“Did you speak with the others today?” Yuuri finally broke the silence, “Do you know what’s happening?” 

“I did,” Viktor nodded, “The Employer is very smart and never leaves a trail, but we know that they will be intercepting a shipment from Labrador to Barcelona tomorrow night. The one in charge of most of North America is arriving tomorrow morning.” The Russian guided him down a dark road, illuminated by just a few streetlamps.

“That’s this King guy. Who is he?” 

“We don’t know a lot about him since we deal with his associates and not him directly, but our families, apparently, go way back. I remember his father vaguely, but he passed a long time ago. King was the only descendant.” 

Yuuri nodded along to the information, thankful Viktor wasn’t trying to shield him anymore. He hated feeling helpless and if he was already involved it _was_ his business. 

They stopped in front of a large catholic cathedral. It was very quiet in the area, save for the light chatter of vendors up the street. It was strange to Yuuri, Viktor had never shown interest in something like this before, but he supposed it was his way of making it up to him for London. 

“Gothic architecture isn’t a suitable substitute for the Anglican architecture I’ve been deprived of.” Yuuri plastered on a frown, “This just won’t do.” 

“Don’t be a smart ass!” Viktor chuckled and hugged him close, “It’s… It’s not really the church I wanted to show you, it’s something else.” Yuuri narrowed his eyes but nodded, staring up at the large stain glass windows that were lit up by the streetlights. 

“I thought this would be a good place for this since it’s so beautiful. My mother took me here once, actually. A long time ago, but I remember it quite vividly.” Yuuri’s heart lurched with anticipation, “She said _Vitya, when you get older you will do great things. You will make your own decisions, and you will blaze a path for generations to come._ I know if she could see me now she would know it was true.” Viktor’s arm around Yuuri tightened, but he didn’t look at him. 

“I’m not going to lie to you and say I have all the answers. You know I don’t.” He leaned down and kissed the top of the boy’s head, “Things are going to change tomorrow in ways I have no control over. I’m not scared, though.” Viktor suddenly pulled away, and kneeled, and that’s when it dawned on Yuuri. 

Viktor was getting ready to say goodbye. 

“I’ve never met anybody quite like you, Katsuki Yuuri. I didn’t want this to… feel cliché or rushed so I’ll just say something you won’t even have to think about,” Yuuri could feel tears welling in his eyes as he watched Viktor reach into his pocket and pull out a small, navy, velvet box. “After tomorrow I don’t know what will happen, but could we maybe start planning ahead? Whatever you decide, Yuuri, I have absolute faith in you.” 

The ring was simple but gorgeous. No doubt Viktor spent a lot of money on it, but it still reminded him of that vendor back in Santa Fe, he didn’t think he’d ever forget about it. The tears started falling as he stared down at Viktor, at a loss for words, but he just managed to nod and grip the sleeves of Viktor’s jacket tight, pulling him up into his embrace. 

They held each other for a long time, slowly rocking back and forth, Yuuri crying into his neck, until Viktor pulled away. 

“Can I put it on you?” He asked, and Yuuri nodded again with a sniffle. It fit perfectly, and Yuuri laughed; Viktor must have measured his finger in his sleep, which was definitely something he would do. Viktor didn’t cry throughout the ordeal, which would have worried Yuuri if it weren’t for the genuine smile that never left his lips the entire time.

“You didn’t have to…” Yuuri whispered, staring down at it. It felt alien, too heavy almost, but it was right. He would get used to it. 

“Do you not like it?”

“No!” Yuuri shouted, “No! I love it! Let’s… Let’s go get you one too! Do you think any of the jewellers are still open?” Viktor laughed at the boy’s antics but nodded, pulling him along the wide streets till they got to the last jewellery store that was open. Yuuri rushed in, tugging the older man along behind him. His face pressed against the glass, looking back and forth, until he found a ring almost identical to the one on his own finger. He paid with his own card, which wasn’t really under his name, but the sentiment was still there. They finished quickly, and Viktor had tried giving Yuuri his hand as they left the store, but the boy stopped him. 

“No, we’re waiting till we get back to the hotel.” He snapped at him, “Come on.” 

Viktor stayed quiet, keeping his smug grin the entire way back to the hotel. They shared a quiet moment as Yuuri grabbed Viktor’s hand daintily, pushing the gold ring over his knuckles and staring down in awe at their matching accessories, but the moment didn’t last long. In the time they made it to their room, Yuuri had become impatient and, quite frankly, pushy as all hell. He didn’t wait for the door to the dingy suite to close before he practically slammed the taller man into it and began pulling off his cardigan, knee between long, muscular legs and dull nails scratching the scalp at the back of his head. 

Viktor was not complaining but it was still difficult to keep up. He had never seen the boy quite this… hungry for him before. Yuuri’s lips were chapped while Viktor’s were soft, but it didn’t matter when they both went numb from sucking and licking into each other. It was messy and cloying, but if Yuuri was this desperate then neither would notice or ever come to care how sloppy it was. 

Tan hands came to rest from blond hair down to his tone chest, nails digging in through the fabric of the dress shirt. Viktor was desperate to get closer, to have those nails digging into actual flesh, to feel the cool metal of the ring against his sensitive skin, but apparently Yuuri had the same idea because he began to furiously undo Viktor’s tie, slipping it off his neck. Viktor started undoing his buttons, but Yuuri slapped his hands away and put them on his hips, undoing the shirt for him. 

Oh, did Viktor ever like that. It was just like the time in Yakov’s office, or all the times he had fantasized. Yuuri couldn’t get enough of him, and was so goddamn desperate to just take what he wanted, and Viktor had no complaints. It was moments like these where Viktor _really did_ forget just how young his boyfriend was. 

No - scratch that – his _fiancé._ Yuuri was his fiancé now. It was Viktor’s fiancé who had torn his dress shirt from his shoulders and thrown it onto the ground. It was Viktor’s fiancé who had pulled back, but not far, so he could bite and suck marks all across the muscles of his neck and shoulders and down the line of his jaw and the curve where his ear had once been. 

He didn’t think he would ever get tired of hearing that word, unless one day he could start saying _husband_ instead. 

The Russian let out a guttural moan as Yuuri nipped at the hard flesh of where his shoulder met his neck, then lathed his mouth over it to sooth the flesh. Right about now was when he would usually turn the tables, grip Yuuri tightly by the hips and swing them around so he was looming over him against the wall, but based on the dark, hungry look in the boy’s half-lidded eyes right now, he didn’t think that would work. 

Yuuri pulled away, and Viktor’s hands trailed after him but his feet didn’t. The boy began backing up, coaxing the older man forward with his eyes, and he couldn’t help but follow now. They walked to the bed on the far side of the room, connecting again for a quick lust-filled kiss before Yuuri pulled away again. 

“I’ve been thinking…” His blush deepened, “I wanted to try something new. I’ve wanted to ask for a while now.” 

“Anything!” Viktor replied, albeit a little too fast. “Anything you would like, love, just say the word.” 

“Do you… do you think I could maybe… You know…” 

Viktor let out a chuckle, but it wasn’t meant in a mean spirited way. Yuuri understood, shoulders coming undone and frown relaxing. 

“I thought you would never ask.” The Russian cupped his face, bringing it in for another kiss.

“Y-You really want to?” 

“I would love to.” 

“I thought that-“ 

“Shh, baby, please.” Viktor kissed him longer this time, shutting him up. “You think too much.”

He let Yuuri push him back onto the bed, climb over him, then straddle his hips. Viktor never made an attempt to touch, only watch, as the younger boy sat back onto his haunches over his lap, and undid his shirt, letting it slip off his shoulders. He leaned in again, but hesitated before their lips could touch, the elder not closing the gap, waiting for him to initiate what he wanted. 

“You’ll have to help me it’s… been a while.” 

Viktor nodded, burying his hands into fluffy black locks again and pulling them closer. He tried to focus on Yuuri’s mouth and not his hands working to undo his belt but it was becoming increasingly difficult as his hands moved closer to his hardening member. Even through his jeans he could feel the heat of them, and it was about to drive him insane if they didn’t start touching him any minute.

The younger boy must have felt his eagerness, maybe sensed the exasperation in their kissing, because he hastily pulled down both Viktor’s briefs and his jeans, using his foot to push them the rest of the way down to the floor. Viktor slid his hands up from Yuuri’s hips to his waist, giving him room to undo the button and zipper himself. Viktor wanted to give Yuuri the floor, with as little assistance as possible. He was tired of feeling dependant and useless, and this is what would give him satisfaction. 

Both naked, they moved further up the bed. Yuuri took his time, surprisingly. Blunt nails dragged across Viktor’s sides and chest, catching on his sensitive nipples and making him let out a small hiss of a breath. Yuuri noticed and dipped down, bringing one sensitive nub into his mouth and sucking gently at first, then lapping at it. 

The older man began to writhe beneath him, half-hard cock brushing against Yuuri’s bare thigh and making his own length twitch in interest. But Yuuri had other plans, moving down the bed and licking and sucking marks across Viktor’s abdomen, paying special attention to all of the marks there. 

He’d been over it many times before, mapping it out with his fingertips and tongue, but never with his eyes. It was a harsh reality that Yuuri had found difficult to swallow, but now he couldn’t find anything quite wrong with it. Instead of ugly scars from knives and bullets, and burns from cigarettes and boiling water, he saw a blank canvas made into art. Every discolouration and line of raised skin was like a splatter of paint, just a small portion of the beauty that made up Viktor. Good traits, bad traits, it didn’t matter. When you had chemistry like they had, it all blended into one. 

He must have been staring, because Viktor reached down and grabbed his chin, lifting it so their eyes could meet once again. 

“You don’t have to look. We can turn the lights off.” 

“No.” Yuuri snapped in a demanding tone, “Don’t you ever say anything like that.” He frowned and straightened up so he could hover over the blonde’s face. “You accepted me knowing my past, I’m doing the same for you. I think every part of you is nice, not just some.” 

Cerulean eyes widened, then became soft again, so Yuuri took that as his queue to dip down and meet Viktor’s kiss-swollen lips again, cocks just barely brushing. 

“How did I ever get so lucky?” Viktor whispered, nuzzling into the soft raven locks on the top of Yuuri’s head and laying a kiss there. “I don’t deserve you.” 

“You deserve the world.” Yuuri reassured him with another peck on the lips, “You deserve more than I could ever give you. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of, but we can change.” 

Viktor’s eyes became glossy again, tears threatening to spill over at any moment. He wound his arms tight around Yuuri’s shoulders and pulled them flush against each other, bringing his ear close and whispering softly. 

“I want you to take me now, Yuuri.” He cooed quietly, “Like it’s our last time.” 

It almost angered Yuuri that Viktor had said it like he didn’t believe it really might be their last time, but it quickly subsided when Viktor leant up into him and ground against him, making him forget all about tomorrow. Yuuri quickly scrambled away, moving to the bedside table where they had put the lube the night before, squeezing a bit onto his fingers and warming it up. 

“Tell me if this is okay.” Viktor nodded, and Yuuri kissed him again while simultaneously lifting the man’s hips, urging him to wrap his legs around him. From this new angle Yuuri could easily manoeuvre around to get what he wanted, all while their cocks brushed against each other. He brought his hand under them, circling Viktor’s hole and lubricating it so he could easily slip a finger past his entrance. 

Viktor was inviting, to say the least. In mere seconds Yuuri’s finger was completely engulfed and Viktor’s chest was heaving, head thrown back against the pillows. Despite how easily the first had gone in, he still pumped a bit and bent it, finger just brushing against the tight bundle of nerves inside of the other man before adding in a second. 

Long, pale fingers gripped him tightly, one on his shoulder the other wrapped firmly around his upper arm. They had been together six months and had never done this, so when was the last time Viktor had ever topped? It could have been years, even, but Yuuri was still excited to make this good for him. 

He added in a third, twisting his wrist slowly and spreading his fingers as far as they could, cautiously making room for himself inside the man. 

“Yuuri, now is okay.” 

“Viktor, I’m not-“ 

“Yuuri,” Viktor tightened his legs around the boy’s hips, “If you don’t get inside me right now I’m not going to last.” 

Yuuri nodded. “Would you like to turn around? I know it’s been a while so it might-“ 

“No, I want to see you.” 

“But it will hurt more.” 

“No it won’t, just trust me.” Viktor pulled him down a bit and kissed down his jaw. “I’m a big kid, I can take it.” 

Yuuri just laughed and shook his head, adjusting their hips and hiking Viktor’s arms further up his shoulders so he could get a good grip, then adding more lube to his hand so he could coat his cock in it. It had been a while, much longer than he could remember, since he had topped a man like this, and it was almost too much when he thrust in slowly, Viktor’s walls clamping down on him in a tight, wet heat. 

_”Yebat…”_ Viktor hissed under his breath, trying not to claw Yuuri’s shoulder blades in an attempt to pull him closer faster. 

“Are you alright?” 

Viktor bit his lip and nodded, eyes glossing over again. Yuuri gave him a moment to find his bearings, but suddenly Viktor was writhing against him, hard cock dripping with precome, and Yuuri just couldn’t hold back anymore. 

The first thrust was shallow and agonizingly slow, but he very quickly increased pressure. Viktor, it turned out, was much more vocal bottoming than he was on top, letting out little groans and moaning to Yuuri, calling him pet names in every language he knew. It was absolutely intoxicating, and put Yuuri at the absolute brink. 

Viktor suddenly shut his eyes, overwhelmed with the stimulation, head thrown back against the pillow once again, muscles straining to hold himself up. 

“Let go.” Yuuri whispered, dipping down to catch his lips. “Let yourself go for me.” 

Did Viktor ever.

He let out a soft keen from the back of his throat, but as Yuuri picked up the pace and when the noises of skin on skin became louder and louder, so did Viktor. He tried biting his lip to stifle it, but Yuuri adjusted himself and hit Viktor in _just the right spot_ that had him seeing stars and throwing his head back to let out a loud, gravelly moan. 

Blunt nails dug into Yuuri’s back, no doubt leaving marks in their wake. Yuuri made some marks of his own, too, using Viktor’s pale shoulder to ground himself, biting down with just enough force that it wouldn’t bleed, pushing Viktor even further to the brink before he was spilling his load between them and tightening around Yuuri with a loud cry that no doubt disturbed Mila and Georgi in the neighbouring suite.

The extra friction did it for Yuuri, bending over further and biting down hard on Viktor’s shoulder as he came inside the man freely, drawing out his thrusts until they were both aching from overstimulation. 

He pulled out, ignoring the come that had spilt onto the duvet beneath them. Nothing mattered right now, and neither could find it in them to care about anything other than each other. 

“Love of my life.” Viktor whispered, chest still heaving. “My pragma, agape, and eros. Where have you been?” 

“Waiting for you.” Was Yuuri’s reply, lying across from him, fingers laced. 

“I don’t want to fall asleep now.” _Because then tomorrow will come faster._ was the unspoken ending to that sentence that they both knew was there. 

“Let’s go get cleaned up.” Yuuri nudged him up, “Then we can talk, if you’d like. I don’t feel like sleeping either.” 

Usually there would have been round two in the shower, but both were quite content with just holding each other under the stream, shampooing and conditioning and lathering each other up with the complimentary loofa. It was quiet, but not awkwardly so, and both just basked in it, absorbing every moment.

They didn’t bother getting changed before bed, just dropping their towels in a pile on the floor by the bathroom and getting under the covers, Viktor holding Yuuri close to his chest, fingers just barely brushing the risen line of his scar above his kidney. Still to this day he would swear his heart still fluttered like it was first love on the playground, to Yuuri it was exactly like that. 

“Let me come with you tomorrow morning.” 

“What?” Viktor adjusted himself so he could look down at Yuuri. 

“I need to start taking action, Viktor.” He reached up to gently caress the other man’s face, thumb brushing his cheekbone. “No matter how hard we try to keep me separate from that side of your life, it’s going to come around sooner or later, and if I’m not prepared it’s going to bite us both on the ass.” 

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this.” Viktor dropped back down, lips ghosting over a dark mark on the younger boy’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to know what I know…” 

“I knew what I was getting into.” Yuuri stated dryly. “I knew all along. Even when we were on the plane to St. Petersburg, and before I caught you washing your hands in the bathroom that one time.” He reached down and grabbed Viktor’s hand in his, pulling it up to his mouth. “I don’t regret a single thing.”

“Not anything?” 

“Not even a little.”

Viktor stayed quiet for a few moments, but Yuuri could tell from his body language that he was about to say something, just hesitating. 

“I don’t regret anything either, but sometimes I feel like I should.” He took a deep breath, “Sometimes I feel like a monster for not letting you go.” 

“You didn’t do this to me.” Yuuri pressed back into him, “I want to help tomorrow. We’re just… softening the blow, you know?”

“I know… and I love you.” 

“I love you too.” He let himself relax further into the Russian’s arms, “I know our insecurities are different, but that’s what we have to figure out. My worries are that you’ll wake up one morning and resent me, your worries are that one day you’ll resent yourself for what you did.” 

“I already do…” 

“But you didn’t do anything!” Yuuri turned in his arms, cupping Viktor’s face in his hands with his thumbs on pronounced cheekbones. “You always told me I could go home at any time, and I believed you, really I did, but there was never a home for me without you. Hasetsu isn’t home, Santa Fe definitely isn’t home, so I stayed, and I knew the consequences.” 

“I hope… I hope the pros outweigh the cons.” Viktor managed a wry smile. 

“Definitely.” Yuuri smiled back, kissing the man one last time goodnight. 

~~~

“Viktor how nice of you to join us.” Minako chimed as he walked in, Yuuri in tow. 

“Yeah, sorry.” He apologized, “It was a late night.” 

Had it ever been. Viktor was convinced they could stay in bed longer than they actually could, so when he had suddenly shot out from under the covers and started rushing to get dressed, Yuuri barely had time to wake up. The boy stood sleepily as Viktor dressed him in his suit and dragged him downstairs to the lobby where the chauffer was waiting. He was just now starting to wake up, and he had brightened when Viktor promised him coffee at the restaurant. 

They had a private booth somewhere in the back, shielded from prying eyes. It was some sort of Japanese café Minako owned, but it didn’t really remind Yuuri of his home country. The staff came and went silently, never looking any of them in the eye, and almost startled when Yuuri said thank you as they handed him his coffee.

“Is Mr. King here yet?” 

“He’ll be here in a minute.” Guang-Hong informed Viktor, “But I think we should go over some ground rules before he does. I’ve dealt with him quite a few times in the past and it can be rather… taxing.” Leo sniggered somewhere beside him, but Guang-Hong didn’t react. 

“Please fill me in, I’ve never dealt with him directly.” Viktor said as he poured his multiple sugars into his steaming brew.

“He’s arrogant.” Emil added, “He’s powerful and he knows. His fiancée might be with him, just don’t look at her and you should be fine.” 

“Like I’d look at his fiancée.” Viktor scoffed, “Important stuff, I mean, how does he go about business?” 

“Like Emil said, he’s arrogant. It’s his way or the highway.” Michele took a sip of his coffee, “We’ve decided already that we won’t take that shit. He either plays by our rules, or he can work this out by himself. I’m tired of his games.” 

“To be expected when you call yourself ‘The King’, is it not?” Chris sighed, “By the way, how did last night go, Vitya?” 

The entire table stopped and turned to Viktor, making Yuuri slump even further into his fiancé’s side. The table may have been hidden from prying eyes that might have wanted intel on the mafia, but it didn’t protect Yuuri from the steely glares of the bosses, and that was much worse. 

“It went very well.” Viktor smirked, holding Yuuri close. 

“Do we want to know what he means, or?” Minako gripped her Asahi tight into a fist, knuckles turning white. 

“Viktor and Yuuri got hitched last night.” Chris added, smirking over his latte. 

“You WHAT?” Minako shrieked, dropping her beer and gripping tightly to the top of her head. 

“We didn’t get married,” Viktor corrected him, holding up Yuuri’s right hand. “This is an engagement ring. We’ll get married after Yuuri finishes school, right baby?” 

Yuuri tried to sputter and answer but the Yakuza boss across from him was staring daggers into his soul, and he could barely move a muscle. He was grateful when Emil, Leo, Guang-Hong, pretty much everybody but Minako and Seung-Gil, cheered suddenly, wishing them congratulations. Chris and Emil both slapped Viktor on the back, but Minako was still gripping tightly to the roots of her hair. 

“Congratulations!” Sara cut in, “Oh my goodness, it’s beautiful!” She reached across the table and grabbed Yuuri’s hand, pulling him towards her. It startled him even more, but Viktor just laughed at her antics. 

“Maybe I should get one of those for you, Sara, maybe then Babicheva would lay off.” Michele added with a smirk, but his twin let go of the younger boy’s hand and slapped him hard across the face, making Yuuri recoil back fast. Nobody else seemed to react except Mickey, hand clutching his injured cheek and facing away from her. 

“He’s not even out of school…” Minako whispered to nobody in particular, “He’s not even done high school yet, hakike o moyōsu ̄…” Her head dropped to the table, trying to ignore the ruckus being caused around her. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” A loud voice boomed, “But it looks like you kept yourself entertained while I was gone.” The man was tall, not quite as tall as Emil or Chris, but about Georgi’s height, dressed in a black fitted suit. He was tan like Sara and Michele but had dark hair, blue eyes, and a wicked smile that blinded Yuuri even if he was a few feet away. 

“We weren’t waiting that long.” Minako shot him a half-assed smile. “Please, come sit. Would you like anything?” 

“Coffee would be great, thanks.” He moved to the table, and both Yuuri and Viktor tensed when he sat beside them, although he did still keep his distance. Coffee was brought around again and he smiled at the woman who brought it, making her panic and quickly scurry away. 

“Isabella isn’t with you, Mr. King?” Guang-Hong asked politely, but Yuuri could tell he was trying to keep his composure. This King man must have been important to them. 

“No, I told her she should stay at home. Quebec is safer right now.” He sipped his coffee, “And please, call me JJ. King is an intimidation thing, and I don’t need you guys to be intimidated by me, I already know you’re not.” He chuckled, dark blue eyes briefly passing over Yuuri before turning back to the rest of the table. 

“I suppose we should go about our plan of action.” Leo interjected, “We only have a few hours left before we should start preparing.” 

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea.” Viktor started, “I was thinking-“ 

“Hold up.” JJ interrupted, “Who are you exactly?” 

This must have been what the others were talking about. He obviously had absolutely no idea who Viktor was, nobody else ever had the brass to cut him off like that, and he hoped Viktor would show the man a little mercy despite his rude behaviour. 

“Viktor Levovich Nikiforov.” Viktor slathered on that signature grin and stuck out a hand for him to shake, “Nice to meet your acquaintance.” 

“Ah, son of the Russian king.” Yuuri backed into the booth as the hands met in a firm handshake in front of his face, “I heard about Lev a few years back, I’m sorry. My father and him were good friends. Oh, and who’s this?” He looked down at Yuuri with those hard eyes and for a moment the boy wondered if Viktor would intervene. 

“Y-Yuuri Katsuki,” He sputtered, putting out a trembling hand, “Viktor’s fiancé.” 

“So nice to meet you both!” His grip was strong, but not enough to bruise. It was a bit much, just like JJ’s personality, but Yuuri thought he might come to tolerate the man. “As of recently?” Yuuri nodded, “Congratulations! Y’know, me and my Isabella have been engaged for a year now, and-“ 

“Jean-Jacques.” Minako growled, “Could we please get down to business?” 

“Oh, right.” He smiled at the older woman, “So, the shipment is coming from one of my factories in Labrador tonight just off a dock in the marina. It was supposed to be heading in Seung’s direction but the rogues have decided to take the shipment for this so-called Employer-“ 

“Please don’t call me that.” It was the first time Yuuri had ever heard Seung-Gil speak, and he really didn’t know what he was expecting, but when the deep, monotonous voice left his mouth the Japanese boy couldn’t help but be surprised. 

“Why not?” JJ turned to look at the Korean man. 

“Because that is not my name.” 

“Seung, I thought we were buddies-“ 

“We may be ‘buddies’ but that is still not my name.” 

“Okay, children,” Minako growled, “Seriously, what did I do to deserve this…” 

It took a minute for her words to register in Yuuri, but he suddenly realized what she was talking about. Other than the Yakuza boss, Viktor was the eldest at twenty-seven, Chris was the next at twenty-five, everybody else was in their early twenties or late teens, maybe they had never had a group this young leading or representing the organizations. He didn’t really blame Minako for being stressed. 

“Anyway, apparently the Employer is supposed to be here tonight in Barcelona to oversee the large overtake. If we lay low till sundown we can interrupt them.” 

“That’s not such a good idea.” Viktor put his coffee down on the table, “We have reason to believe that the Employer is among us. Now, it’s none of us because all of our organizations have been affected by this heist drastically, but I think it’s safe to say it is somebody close.” He turned to JJ, “Seung-Gil informed me you had no idea of what happened in Santa Fe.” 

“Yes, it was my right-hand.” The Canadian sighed, “I heard about Saginowski last minute, but by the time I could get to you, José French and The Employer already had. I was angry at first about Tommy, but when I heard what he did to you in Sochi, and about how much they were hiding from me, I took care of it. You can take Santa Fe, but I can offer you more if you’d like. I hope we have no hard feelings after this.” JJ looked genuine, but Viktor was more than used to conmen, and from what he had heard in the past Mr. King was quite the artist in that field. 

“I appreciate your apology.” The Russian didn’t smile or frown, “But I think in the future you should keep a tighter leash on your dogs. Mutts are… unpredictable at best, and if anything more happened to my Yuuri we would not be having this conversation.” 

“I understand completely. Precautionary measures have already been taken, I assure you.” JJ bowed his head a bit, “Does anybody else have anything to add? Any other input on how we should go about tonight?” 

“We need to be quiet about it.” Sara added, “If it’s somebody outside this circle, they already know that we know, we can’t give them anything else.” 

“Maybe we should let the heist happen tonight.” Sara spoke, “Just sit back and watch. They are expecting us to intervene, but if we didn’t it would really throw them for a loop, and we would have a bit more information.” 

“Lee would be losing thousands!” Minako snapped, “We need to take direct action. The Employer is smart, they can calculate our moves. We tried that tactic in Kyushu back in March but The Employer never showed, and we lost the materials, and my yen.” 

“We can’t just go in with all of our men, guns a’blazing, shooting up the place.” Christophe sighed, “Maybe we can get information from one of the site men, and he can tell us where The Employer is.” 

“José French and I spoke. He said there is always a third party involved. Maybe if we can get one of the site managers to give us the location of the third party, that’s a start.” 

“Good idea, Viktor.” Mickey nodded, “We should go it alone. As much as I trust my men, they’re not quite as competent as all of us.” 

“And if one of them is in cahoots with the employer, we should be careful.” Leo added, “Like Viktor said, it could be anybody. How do we get to the site manager though?” 

“I-I could do it.” 

All eyes turned to Yuuri, some gentle and inquisitive, some hard and steely. 

“Yuuri-“ 

“No, I can do it. You know I can.” 

“What makes you think you can get the information from the manager, Mr. Katsuki?” JJ asked, but unlike some of the others, he was not judgemental in his tone. 

“I have certain… acquired skills from my past. I can separate him from the site, you guys can do your work.” 

“It’s settled then.” Minako stood, taking her beer with her. “Viktor’s boy seduces the manager, we head in and get our hands dirty.” She walked away from the table, hips swaying in her tipsy state. “Meet at my place at five, no later.” 

All of the bosses began leaving; saying quick goodbyes and shaking hands with each other like businessmen would after a conference. Viktor did so as well, playing up that dazzling smile like a celebrity would for a camera, and pulling Chris aside from the group for a private chat.

“It’s pretty brave of you to offer something like that.” The deep voice stirred Yuuri from his thoughts, but he didn’t panic, just turned to face the Canadian man. 

“Oh… Thank you.” 

“We’ll keep you safe.” He smiled down at the boy, “I can tell you’re young, and you’ve never done anything like this before. I can tell Clooney over there wouldn’t let anybody lay a finger on you.” JJ chuckled to himself, “I thought he was going to reach across the table and strangle me when he was talking about Santa Fe.” 

“It was hard for both of us.” Yuuri nodded, “He always told me he didn’t want me to get involved, but we both knew it was inevitable.” Jean-Jacques nodded solemnly.

“Well, I’m very sorry I failed you like that. I’m still pretty new to this as well.” Chris laughed and pulled Viktor in for a hug suddenly, making the Russian laugh too but pull away. “I’m not gonna tell you I know for sure we’ll make it out of this in one piece, but I will try my best.” He patted the younger boy’s back with a deep sigh, and walked away as Viktor approached. 

“Yuuri, you don’t have to do this. Mila is here, too, she can-” 

“I want to.” He reached up on his toes and kissed the corner of the taller man’s mouth, lacing their fingers together, “You know I don’t want to just sit back and be some trophy husband, I want us to accomplish things. Together.” Viktor smiled sadly and lifted Yuuri’s hand to his mouth, kissing across the ring and holding it tight. 

“But I wouldn’t mind that…” His voice was shaky. Yuuri had never seen him so concerned before. “I wouldn’t mind spoiling you. Showing you off to everybody like a medal. You know that…” 

“I know, but you’ve already done so much.” They kissed again, slower this time. “Let me give back to your family.” 

~~~

“Could you go any fucking slower? Goddamn!” 

It was cooler now, the perfect opportunity to get more work done than you could in the hot June sun. They were preparing for the shipment in six hours, and nothing had gone wrong yet, but that didn’t mean the manager wasn’t stressed. If the boys kept up their work like this, they would just make it on time, with no room to spare. This summer start had been unforgiving, and it did terrible things to their work ethic. 

“How much longer on those crates?” 

“About two hours, sir.” 

“God – Fuck – Two hours? The shipment comes in six!” The manager slammed his fist down on the table, “Tell the crew to get their asses in gear, or I’ll come over there and drive them here myself!” 

“Y-Yes sir!” The young crewmember stumbled over his feet as he scurried away, fulfilling his duties. 

The manager couldn’t let himself get worked up, though. The Employer had thought everything through. They went over every detail together, every stitch in the proverbial blanket of the plan. Things would work out today, and he would come out a rich, powerful man. 

Suddenly somebody burst through the warehouse doors, huffing for breath and scrambling to catch their footing. The manager could see the boy was Asian, probably a tourist, wearing a jacket that was tearing at the seams, with blood on his face and mud on his knees. 

“How the hell did you get in here?” 

“Please!” The boy yelped, falling onto his knees in front of the man. “I-I was almost assaulted, please help me!” 

“Calm down, boy.” The manager snapped, “What’s happened?” 

“I-I was just walking down the- the street and two men just jumped on me! And- and they tried to take my clothes!” It was almost difficult to understand what the boy was saying, all his words jumbling together, but the manager rested a hand on his shoulder. 

“Just calm down, you’re shook up, that’s all.” 

The boy nodded with a gulp, then looked up at him with soft, amber eyes and wet, pouty lips. 

“C-Could I just stay here for a moment? I’m still really scared.” 

“No problem,” The man smiled down at him, “You could stay here as long as you’d like.” 

The boy nodded and managed a smile up at him with glossy eyes. He took off his jacket, but suddenly paused, turning to the man again. 

“I need to check my… my knees. I think they’re cut up pretty bad, is there anywhere more… private?” The insinuation was obvious, so even though the manager wasn’t really one for men he couldn’t help but take the bait. This boy was utter perfection; a perfect combination of feminine and masculine. He was small, too, enough so that he could easily be overpowered, which made this all too easy. 

“Follow me.” He offered the boy a hand and helped him up, leading him to a back room of the warehouse just a ways from the rest of the commotion. Once inside, he shut the heavy metal door behind them, turning the lock tight. When he turned around, the boy was standing with his jacket still, hugging it tight around him. 

“Well,” The man grinned slyly, “Go head.” 

“Y’know, I think I’m fine now.” He pulled out the gun from his pocket, smacking the unsuspecting man hard across the side of the face with the barrel like Yuri had showed him, knocking him out cold. 

He leant against the wall then, letting out a relieved breath of air he didn’t know he had been holding the entire time. Never before had he experienced such a rush seducing somebody quite like this. It was different with clients, similar, but he was forced to do it, it never felt like a job, then with Viktor he didn’t have to try, it just came so naturally to him, but for this it was a job, a responsibility. Their plans were riding on him, but it made him feel important, like he was worth something. 

He reached into the pocket of the jacket and pulled out the disposable phone they had given him, dialling a number. 

“Hey, King?” He smiled, “I’ve got one sleazebag here for pick up, and please tell my fiancé to stop panicking, I’m just fine.” JJ laughed on the other line. 

“Sure thing, Katsudon. You must know him well. He’s been pulling his hair out ever since we sent you in. Mickey, Minnie, and Big Bird will be there momentarily.”

Yuuri had come to like the Canadian quite a bit. He understood why the others were not so fond, he had a big personality and an even bigger ego, but he was doing a good job of making Yuuri comfortable throughout the ordeal, unlike Viktor who just worried himself sick. 

The steel door burst open behind him, accidently knocking the unconscious man in the head, and in stepped the Crispino’s and Christophe. 

“Good job, Katsudon!” The Swiss man praised him, “That was nice work. Ice Daddy would be proud.” 

Sara’s back straightened and her nostrils flared. 

“What kind of codename is Ice Daddy?” 

“Long story.”

All four of them lifted the man, and used the shadows of the dimly lit section of the warehouse to sneak him out. Like the American warehouse, it wasn’t guarded very heavily until the shipment came in, so it was quite easy. 

They brought the man to the car outside and dropped him in the trunk, Michele quickly tying his arms and legs together to stop him from trying to escape while they drove back to the restaurant they had met in the morning. 

When they got there Viktor immediately began fussing over Yuuri, poking and prodding at him, kissing his forehead, berating him with questions, he even tried to pull up his shirt to look at the now-healed wound on his stomach, asking whether it had opened up again or not. When the boy managed to calm him down and get him to focus on his work the man had woken up, and they brought him to the restaurants basement, where Minako assured them nobody would hear. 

Sara and her brother tied the man down to a chair with ropes in the center of the room, ignoring him as he spat and cursed and fought against them, until Sara had enough and punched him square in the nose, stunning him. JJ brought his chair as well, straddling it and laying his arms across the back. He stared down at the man in front of him, just starting to come back to reality, blood dripping down his cupid’s bow and into his mouth.

“What do you want?” He looked around frantically and tugged against the ropes. “I think you got the wrong guy, I-“ 

“No, I think you’re exactly who we wanted.” The Canadian gave him a cheeky smile, “Unless you’re not Billy Kim, the manager of this district, ‘cause then you’d be free to go.” 

“I don’t know who that is.” 

“Ooh, but see, here’s the thing.” JJ pulled an aged leather wallet from his pocket and opened it up, plucking out a driver’s license, shoving it in the man’s face. “I remember your name and face from when my father hired you during a committee meeting, William. It sucks things had to be this way but alas, you can’t change your mind now.” 

“… Mr. King?” 

“Bingo.” The Canadian smiled even wider, “Which one of you is the best with interrogation?” He turned in his seat, looking to the others against the wall behind him. 

“If it is your man should you not be the one to do it?” Seung-Gil asked, raising a brow. 

“I’m a charmer, not an enforcer. Who’s the most experienced.” 

“That’d be comrade, over here.” Minako pat Viktor on the shoulder, “It’ll be quick and dirty with him.” JJ nodded and stood from the chair, all of them ignoring the calls from Billy asking them what the hell was going on. 

“Chris, can you take Yuuri upstairs?” Viktor squeezed the boy against him once, “He doesn’t need to-“ 

“I do.” Yuuri interrupted him, “I’m involved. I should be here.” 

“Yuuri, I-“ 

“Let the boy stay if he wants to.” Minako interrupted, “It will probably do him some good.” 

Viktor still looked unsure, brows furrowed and worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, but he nodded eventually. The man pulled off his engagement ring and handed it to Yuuri, kissing him on the cheek once, and pulling away with his hands still on his shoulders. 

“If you want to leave just tell Chris. You don’t have to watch.” 

“Can somebody please explain what the fuck is happening?” Billy yelled, but none of them reacted. 

“We talked about this.” Yuuri pushed him away, “Get to work.” 

Viktor nodded but he was obviously still upset. He took of his suit jacket and laid it across the chair, folding it neatly, then rolled up his sleeves to his elbows before leaning on the back of the wooden seat. 

“I’ll say this once for you because we’re running out of time, so listen close. We knew you’re involved with The Employer and you’re in charge of the Labrador heist. This can be quick and easy for you if you just tell me who The Employer is.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Billy spat, “I’m just in charge of getting it here and there.” 

“Here and there meaning Barcelona to Seoul, or Barcelona to another location? Because there is a lot of talk going on, Mr. Kim, and a lot of it is about you and your ulterior motives. So, for the last time, who is The Employer?”

“I don’t know shi-“ 

“Minako?”

“Yes, Viktor?” 

“Is the furnace on?” 

“Yes, it is.” 

Viktor picked the man, and the chair, off the ground, dragging them over to the large old metal furnace on the other side of the room. He undid the man, gripping his hands tightly behind his back, before slamming his face onto one of the water pipes. 

Billy’s screams echoed throughout the room, as well as the smell of cooking flesh. Viktor only held him there for a few seconds, before pulling his face back. It was extremely discoloured, bright and dark crimson that put every other blush to shame, and already blistering. Yuuri’s breath caught, and he thought he was going to be sick, but he swallowed it down. 

_’Don’t be a coward. Don’t look away.’_

“Who is The Employer, Kim? I just told you I don’t have all day.”

 **”I don’t know!”** The man shrieked, holding his hands up in submission. “I don’t know! Really! I’ve never spoken to the guy before!” 

“Bullshit.” Viktor picked the man up by the collar of his shirt again, prepared to press him up against the hot water pipe again. 

**”Wait!”** Billy wailed, causing Viktor to freeze. “I-I do know w-where they’re working out of while in B-Barcelona.” 

“So they’re here?” 

“Yes, it-it’s a big church on the other side o-of the marina. I-I can ta-ke you there if you want-“ 

“There will be no need.” Viktor dropped him to the floor, wiping his hands on his pants. 

“That really was fast.” JJ applauded him, “Minako, do you know the place?”

“Yeah, there’s only one in that area.” She nodded, “We better hop to it.” 

“What about the man?” Gaung-Hong asked, “Surely we can’t just leave him here.” 

“Sure we can.” Minako shrugged, “I own the place.” 

Everybody filed out, ignoring the man wailing on the floor behind them, clutching his hands to his searing face. 

“Don’t worry,” Minako told him, “We’ll be back for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> : D  
> : D 
> 
> AND YOU WERE ALL LIKE "LEVI, I STG IF MR. KING IS THAT CANADIAN ASSHOLE I'M GOING TO SHOVE VIKTOR'S SEVERED EAR UP MY ASS."
> 
> I love writing like this. Putting little nods to the show in their, it's my favourite. There's big stuff coming, so sorry if this seems slow. I never expected this fic to get so popular, and in the beginning it was just going to be a smutty gore-fest, so be glad I changed my mind! 
> 
> MINOR SPOILERS:  
> I will return momentarily with Chapter 18! Just two chapters left + an epilogue. Also, if you read the notes from the main story you can find a playlist for the ENTIRE story, meaning the last 3 chapters, not just these guys!


	18. Today

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Today' by Jefferson Airplane.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would just like to say thank you to the overwhelming support I've gotten from this fic. It's gone from a snuff/torture porn fic to a genuine actual work that I'm proud of, so thank you so much. I can't believe this. 
> 
> I'd also like to say thanks for all the kind words, because at the end of this chapter your words wILL NOT BE VERY KIND ANYMORE, SORRY TO SAY. 
> 
> I promise life is good. 
> 
> Read the tags. 
> 
> 'Happy Ending'

“Are you two sure?” 

“Positive.” Leo checked the bullets in the barrel of his gun and cocked it, “Don’t worry ‘bout us.” He flashed a smile to Gaung-Hong, who sent one that was just as dazzling. “We’ve done this before.” 

“It’s not too late for me to call in some of my boys.” Minako tried to reason, “I have a nasty sniper that will-“ 

“Okukawa-san,” Guang-Hong pulled his blade from his sheath, “Like Leo said, don’t worry. We’ve looked at a map of the cathedral, we know where the blind spots are, it will be like taking candy from a baby.” 

“Ready?” Leo beamed another sunshine-like smile at him. 

“As I’ll ever be.”

And with that they kissed, slow and sweet. The American boy’s hands found their way to the Chinese boy’s hips, pulling them tight against each other. It was obvious they had done it before, many times. There was a certain fluidity and rhythm that came with couples who had been together a long time. They pulled apart, and Leo laid another kiss on Guang-Hong’s cheek before resting their foreheads together. It felt eerily similar to how Viktor was feeling the night before; it felt like goodbye. 

“When we come out of here,” The shorter boy turned to the rest of the group, “There is no talk of this whatsoever.” 

“Our lips are sealed.” JJ smirked, “Go to town.” 

Both boys nodded and headed off, jogging lightly towards their destination. Clad in black and using the covers of the abandoned buildings across the street, the rest of the team watched as Leo and Guang-Hong disappeared under the cover of night, not to be seen until the deed was done. 

“Remind me why we sent the two youngest to do our dirty work?” Minako groaned, slumping against the wall behind her. 

“Leo and Ji are a force to be reckoned with.” Christophe informed her, “I can assure you. I’ve seen it first hand. Besides, we can’t all head in there at once.” 

“They’re in.” Otabek alerted them, eyes still trained on his scope. 

“Now what do we do? Just sit and wait and hope for the best?” 

“Who pissed in your cornflakes, Minako?” Sara snapped, “If Chris says they’re good, they’re good. We wait for their signal.” 

“If they’re not back in twenty minutes,” Michele added, “We go in ourselves.”

Away from the commotion a bit, Yuuri and Viktor sat together, Yuuri cross-legged, Viktor with his legs spread surrounding the younger boy. They held hands and spoke in hushed whispers about mundane things, doing a half-assed job of forgetting where they were and why they were there but it helped nonetheless, even if it wasn’t by much. Despite the low roar of conversation, the sound of bullets was still clear as day. 

“I was thinking a Spring wedding.” Viktor held Yuuri’s hand in his, looking down at the glistening ring. “How about Japan?” 

“Would you really want to?” Yuuri looked up at him with stars in his eyes, and Viktor practically melted. 

“Of course I do.” The Russian laughed, “Maybe we can even get a beach house there or something, so if you ever wanted to take a break we could just go.” 

The chatter kept up for a while, Yuuri and Viktor slowly scooting closer to each other until they were eventually wound up, a mess of tangled limps scooted up against the wall. They fell silent, both not wanting to ruin the moment, as did the others. 

“How old is Yuuri, Seung-Gil?” 

Both JJ and Seung-Gil were seated across the room from the others, sitting down, backs against the wall as they waited it out. Seung-Gil was the only one he had ever connected with, despite what the Korean man might say, the others were all just business partners. They were unlikely friends, but the Canadian was glad to have a familiar face in this moment. 

“I believe he is seventeen.” Seung-Gil’s eyes never left the other men on the other side of the room, “Though I might be mistaken.” 

“Wow,” He wasn’t many years younger than JJ, but there was a certain air about the boy that made him seem so much simultaneously much older and younger. Yuuri didn’t have the brashness that he had, but he made up for it in innocence. There were so many things his eyes had not seen yet they looked like they held so many dark thoughts. “And where did Nikiforov find him?” 

“Jean-Jacques you know I am not one for gossip-“ 

“I know, I know,” He raised his hands submissively, “I’m just curious.” 

“What’s this about?” Sara asked, walking towards them from where she had been talking with her brother and Emil. 

“I was just asking Seung-Gil about Cisco and Pancho over there.” He motioned towards the two men slumped against the wall, “He won’t tell me, though.” 

“You should know, it’s part of the reason we’re in this mess.” She sighed, “You know before your dad died when he gave the East to Lev?” 

“Vaguely.” 

“Well, he also gave him control of their human trafficking ring in the South, that’s why Viktor is still in control of some of those parts even though bosses have been switching around lately like this is some kind of sick version of a Chinese Fire Drill.” She pulled a cigarette carton from her pocket, “Viktor found Yuuri at a whorehouse in New Mexico.” She offered the carton to the men, but both politely declined. 

“What does that have to do with this?” 

“That boy is Nikiforov’s Achilles heel.” Seung-Gil stated, staring out the window. “It gives his men reason to betray him for The Employer. That is what happened in Sochi, and also in Santa Fe.” 

“So because Viktor is engaged to an ex-whore they’re going behind his back?” 

“Not just because Yuuri was a whore. He’s a boy, and not of Russian descent, he’s not even white. Not even a little bit.” Sara lit her cigarette and took a drag, puffing it out with a sigh. 

“Why are you here then? The Employer hasn’t come near Italy yet.” 

“Our families are all close.” Sara frowned at him around her cigarette, “Our fathers, mothers, uncles, and aunts forged this organization in hopes it would make us stronger, and it has.” She blew out slowly, “It’s our obligation to take care of each other.” 

“I find it hard to believe we should destroy the relationships our parents built because of trivial matters like who somebody has chosen to wed.” Seung-Gil turned finally, looking at both of the other persons on the floor beside him. “Is that not preposterous?” 

“Seung-Gil you sound like my grandfather, except less conservative.” 

Both JJ and Sara laughed, even Seung-Gil cracked a bit of a smile for the first time in a long time, but the moment was quickly lost when Otabek spoke. 

“Nineteen minutes.” 

“Shit-“ Emil stood quickly off the wall, “What’s taking them so long?” 

“Have you heard from them?” Minako asked JJ, who in turn pulled out his disposable phone. 

“Not a peep.” 

“Shit…” She bit her lip, tapping her foot on the ground. “If they’re not out by the time that clock strikes ten-thirty I need everybody ready to move in, get your asses into gear.” 

Viktor stood then, hauling Yuuri with him and placing him gently on his feet. Their foreheads were still pressed together, sharing the same breath between them. 

“I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Yuuri leaned up and captured Viktor’s lips, “Come back to me, eh?” 

“You got it.” He smiled widely, returning the kiss before lifting his gun and checking how full the clip was. “You know I always do.” 

“Twenty seconds.” Otabek chirped, still staring down the scope. 

“Check everything. Double check. Triple check.” Minako barked, “We may be a collective, but the moment we get in there it doesn’t matter anymore.” 

“Fifteen seconds.” 

“Hey, what do you think about cats?” 

Yuuri blanched, then laughed nervously. How could Viktor be asking him things like that at a moment like this? 

“W-Well I’ve always been more of- of a dog person, but- Viktor, where is this coming from?” 

“Ten seconds.” 

“Yura has always wanted a cat. Maybe when we get home we can think about it?” 

“We’ll talk about it.” He forced on a smile, “We will have to speak with Makkachin though.” 

“Five seconds.” 

“It’s a plan.” Viktor moved in, wrapping his arm around Yuuri’s waist and pulling him close. The kiss was everything at once, love and lust and innocence, overpowering the uncomfortable feeling of Viktor’s gun digging into his back, but it was all over too soon when suddenly stain glass shattered from across the street, making Viktor move away. 

“And that’s our queue.” He smiled down at Yuuri, “Stay with Otabek, no matter what.” 

Yuuri nodded and let him go, though it was the hardest thing he had ever done in his entire life. Watching Viktor jog away from him, eyes still trained in his direction, was like he was gone already, every metre adding to the hole in his heart, and wrenching it from his chest. 

When they disappeared from view, Yuuri settled beside Otabek on the side without the gun. He didn’t think he could look at a gun right now without getting sick. 

“Does Yura know about the rings?” 

“No.” Yuuri stated blandly. 

“He’s going to have a shitfest when he finds out.” 

Yuuri snorted, glad Otabek was able to lighten the mood even in a time like this. 

“Hey, Otabek?”

“Yup?” 

“Are you and Yuri together?” 

“Yup.” 

“Oh.” He sunk back, leaning heavy on the creaky floorboards below him. “A-And how does he feel about you doing this?” 

“This is probably a little too much information,” The Kazakh boy’s lips turned up in just a faint grin, “But he thinks it’s kind of sexy.” 

Yuuri nodded, knowing that whether or not Otabek could see it he would know it happened. 

“How does he deal with when… you know… you go away for a while.” 

“Do you mean when I don’t come back?” 

Yuuri nodded again, but Otabek just keep looking down the scope. 

“It was hard at first, especially since we live in different countries.” The older boy explained, “Don’t tell him I told you this, but sometimes he would phone me in the middle of a job, just bawling his eyes out asking me when I would be home.” 

“And what did you do?” 

“I told him the truth. _Yura, I will get home as fast as I can, but I don’t know when that will be._ He didn’t like that answer very much, I got yelled at a lot,” He snickered a bit, “But eventually he understood. He said something about reading one of Lilia’s self-help books and it said like _if you truly believe something hard enough it will come true.”_

“Do you think that’s true?” 

Otabek finally turned away from the gun, dark brown eyes meeting even darker brown eyes. 

“I think that if you tell yourself you can do something, you can do it.” His brow furrowed, “You decide your future, nobody else. Picture Viktor walking out of that cathedral, and he will.” 

Yuuri was at a loss for words, staring up at the older boy with hopeful eyes. Taking his words to heart, he pictured Viktor walking out of the cathedral, not a speck of blood on him, no new cuts or fresh bullet wounds, no protruding compound fractures or collapsed lungs; he was perfectly fine. It made Yuuri feel better. It almost made him forget about the nagging feeling in the back of his brain. 

Suddenly the lamp above their head, their only source of light, shattered into a million fragments. Within seconds, Otabek had pulled his gun from the tripod and covered Yuuri, throwing him to the floor with his weight practically crushing him and his arms under his head. 

The sound of bullets rang loud in Yuuri’s ears, an endless stream of cacophonic sounds that had the boy tensing and clutching the Kazakh boy above him closer, unsure of what was happening. When the noises stopped, Otabek got off him, pulling him by the shirt to his feet and tugging him along. 

“Follow me.” He snapped, “We have to get out.” 

“B-But we have to watch for the others and-“ His eyes caught on a marred patch of skin on Otabek’s leg, “Otabek, you’re hurt, we can’t-“ 

“Listen to me, Yuuri.” The Kazakh boy tugged him close, “Before we got here Viktor told me my first and only priority was to keep you safe. It was never about them.” Yuuri’s eyes widened, “They know we’re here and they’re coming right now so _move your fucking ass before I pick you up and throw you over my shoulder, Yuuri, because we’re not dying here.”_

That was what did it for Yuuri. Never before had his friend yelled at him like that, and it really snapped him back into reality. He kept up with Otabek as he dashed out the door and hopped over the bannister on the stairs, gun trained in front of them. There was nobody there, so he reached out and grabbed the younger boy’s hand, pulling him closer so he could wrap an arm around his waist and tug him out the back door. 

But it was too late. The moment the big wooden door swung open, Otabek’s gun was being torn from his hands and swung into his face, knocking him onto the pavement. When Yuuri made a move to get to him, big hands gripped onto him and pulled him back, ignoring his calls of terror and pleas as he watched two of them roughly pick up the Kazakh boy, practically dragging him mindlessly across the pavement. 

Otabek began to come to, struggling again as they held him down, but he shut up when a woman amongst them planted a knife deep in his chest, and let him drop to the ground. 

Never before had Yuuri seen the man so full of emotion. Big, dark eyes were wide in shock as blood started to pour from the open wound. He opened his mouth like he tried to say something, lifted his hand like he was trying to call out but there was a large switchblade still lodged in his chest and he couldn’t quite find it in him to do anything else but fall back down, held up only by the draining strength in his arms. 

Somebody put something over Yuuri’s head, because suddenly he couldn’t see Otabek anymore, and he stopped spitting at them and trying to bite, and the yelling only made him light-headed and dizzy. 

He kept struggling, but the man and woman holding him were much older and bigger, and it was a useless waste of energy to keep trying to get away but Otabek’s words kept coming back to him. 

_My first and only priority was to keep you safe._

It filled him with new vigour and he began trashing around even more so, throwing his weight around trying to knock them off balance, and he didn’t stop until cuffs were shut tight around his wrists, and he was thrown onto hard floor. 

The bag came off his head, and he had to narrow his eyes to stop from being blinded. The dimness of the room and of the moonlight made him adjusted to the darkness, so the bright cathedral lights were overwhelming his senses. Everything was quiet to him, like he was in a tunnel, and there was somebody calling his name at the end. 

“Yuuri!” 

His vision cleared and as he finally got his bearings, he realized what was happening. Everybody was in a circle around him; Chris, Minako, Seung-Gil, everybody. Viktor was across from him, blood dripping from somewhere on his face, blinding him in his right eye, but Yuuri couldn’t quite tell where. Despite the mask of blood he wore, the boy could still see the strained expression on his face, a mixture of fury, pain, and hopelessness. 

Guang-Hong was in the middle of the circle, hunched over, sobs obviously wracking his body as he stared down over Leo. Presumably Leo, because he was wearing the same outfit, but really it could have been anybody; the body didn’t have a head, just a neck with a hole where the rest of the body should have been from a large gun of some sort. He could still see remnants of it, though, bits of hair strewn across the floor, mixing with brain matter and blood, even Guang-Hong’s tears. 

He knew what was going on. 

They were caught off guard. 

“Did they hurt you, Yuuri? Are you okay?” Viktor tried to shuffle closer, but a woman walked up to him and kicked him hard in the stomach, making him keel over. 

“Shut the hell up.” 

Viktor coughed loudly, spitting out a mouthful of blood, before looking back up at Yuuri. His face fell again at the look of pure horror on his fiancé’s face, staring over at him and only him. Sure, everybody else in the room was fairly injured, Emil in particular looked rather pale and bloody, but Viktor was the only one that mattered. 

For a few seconds, Viktor and Yuuri were the only ones in the room. 

It was quickly interrupted when Yuuri was suddenly jerked off his knees by the handcuffs, and started being drug backwards against the floor. Viktor opened his mouth to shut across at him again, but the woman once again delivered a blow to his midsection, knocking him onto the ground. 

“The fuck do you want from me!” Yuuri yelled, thrashing and kicking at the man holding him. 

The man didn’t reply, he just pulled him backwards against one of the pews they had turned away from the circle. Nobody spoke but Yuuri as multiple people enclosed on him, holding him down on the pew. 

“What the hell are you doing to him?” Christophe yelled, “Get your hands off him! He didn’t do anything!” 

“It’s us!” JJ screamed to them, “Punish us, not him!” 

Both men were ignored, but they continued to berate the assailants as they held Yuuri down and stopped him from thrashing. The man that grabbed him suddenly pulled out a box from under the pew, and began setting something up, completely quiet.

“What are you doing?” Yuuri froze, “W-What is that? Wha- Viktor!” 

But Viktor didn’t reply, still hunched over and gripping tightly to his gut. Only did he react when Yuuri’s shirt was ripped from his shoulders and the air was filled with a quiet whir, and suddenly everybody went silent. 

“Jesus fucking Christ…” Minako spat, letting her face fall to the ground. 

**“Don’t you fucking dare!”** He screamed, **“I’ll rip all your heads off and shit down your necks! I swear to holy hell-“** The woman gripped the back of Viktor’s head and slammed him against the stone floor of the cathedral, and he stayed there, unmoving. 

The grip they had on Yuuri was so tight that he couldn’t even struggle anymore, he could barely lift his head. His voice became hoarse from screaming, and his eyes were beginning to water, because he knew what was coming but it just wasn’t registering fast enough. Then the needle made contact with his skin, and it was nothing at first, but the mans hand started to drag the device down his skin, and he could see the faint inky blackness dotting his collar bone, and suddenly he felt the urge to vomit. 

It was just like cat scratches at first, but the man gradually became rougher, and his skin became more irritated, making it all the more painful. He was crying now, tears thick and heavy, streaming down his cheeks, but he could find it in him to scream anymore. This continued for a while, the others letting out shouts of protest before they were silenced, Guang-Hong and Yuuri’s sobs littering the air and covering the noises of the tattoo gun that echoed against the high walls of the beautiful cathedral. 

“Yuuri…” 

It was just barely a sob, but Yuuri still heard it. Due to the distinct accent and tone of voice, he knew it was Viktor, broken and mangled across the main hall of the church. Suddenly Yuuri stopped crying, and his heart stopped racing, and he could form a coherent thought because the only thing that he could think about or feel right now was Otabek’s words from earlier. 

_My first and only priority was to keep you safe._

The man leaned over Yuuri, smug grin on his face and tongue stuck out in focus, so the boy took the opportunity, reaching up as far as he could and clamping his teeth around the pink muscle, slamming his head back into the pew with a loud _thwack_ and causing the men holding him to startled and let go. 

The man screamed, throwing the tattoo gun behind him and dropping to the floor in an attempt to get away, but Yuuri went with him, looming over him, before quickly pulling his head back with a snap and spitting off to the side. 

The ordeal only lasted a few seconds, but Yuuri was out of breath, huffing and spitting again to try and get the disgusting taste of blood and the other man’s disgusting breath from his nose and mouth. Nobody reacted when he quickly crossed the room, clumsily so, tripping over his feet and landing next to Viktor, holding him up, 

“Vicchan, Vicchan…” He cooed to him, “Are you alright?”

The man nodded slowly, wincing a bit, but his eyes were still hazy and clouded. Though, they suddenly snapped open when he caught sight of Yuuri’s shoulder. 

“Bratva…” He whispered under his breath, “Brotherhood…” 

Yuuri started to panic, completely unsure of what Viktor meant before he looked down at the bloody, inky expanse of his chest. It was difficult to see, but when he wiped away the excess blood, ignoring the searing pain on his left pectoral, it became so clear. 

It was an eight-point star. The lines were messy, jagged in some parts, thick in others, missing a few here or there, but there was no doubt what it was. Coincidentally it looked just like Viktor’s, less neat and expensive, but it was about the same size and on the same size. 

It made Yuuri sick to wonder what kind of sick, twisted person close to Viktor that knew about the tattoo would do this to them. 

“Why?” Yuuri cried, turning to the others. The man, now missing his tongue and choking on his blood, was facing away from them, throwing up onto the cathedral wall. The rest of them looked down at Yuuri, pure shock on their faces, before one stepped forward. 

“Because order must be restored.” One of the men that had been holding Yuuri down said dryly, “This is chaos and we need to think about the good of the people.” 

“The Employer will take control, and if you are serious about this than you should be willing to give your life to the brotherhood like you promised.” 

“What the hell is going on?” Sara began to thrash now, “Who is The Employer? Why the fuck didn’t they just come to us first? Why go through all of this trouble?” 

Suddenly a door opened at the end of the long room, and footsteps filled the air, interrupting Sara’s berate. The clicking of heels on stone was deafening in the silence, although somewhere in the room the tattoo gun stilled buzzed along quietly, forgotten under a pew. 

“Because through pain comes love,” the voice was like nails on a chalkboard, and had Yuuri’s stomach dropping to his feet. “This is what it took to show you my love, and I hope you can return the favour.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao Yuuri literally just ripped a dude's tongue off with his teeth.
> 
> YOU ALL WANTED YUURI TO GET HIS HANDS DIRTY, I HOPE YOUR FUCKING PLEASED AS A PEACH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT OVER YET. 
> 
> Although it's shorter, I hope this chapter also cleared up some confusing things for you guys. The only thing I didn't go over was 'Ice Daddy' because that's a bit of a different story. In a magazine (I forget where from) somebody once referred to Vitya as 'Ice Daddy' and we started calling him that for a while. I imagine Ice Daddy came from Viktor and Chris' younger days when maybe they fucked at the ice rink or something, I don't know. Let your imagination go wild with that one. 
> 
> Also, whether it's now or later, would you guys be interested in a sequel/spin-off fic? I would more than happily turn this into a series if that's what you want. These variations of the characters have become my babies, and it would be very difficult to let go completely. 
> 
> MINOR SPOILERS:  
> Just a chapter left + an epilogue. Also, if you read the notes from the main story you can find a playlist for the ENTIRE story, meaning the last chapters, not just these guys!


	19. Yellow Ledbetter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fits to 'Yellow Ledbetter' by Pearl Jam.
> 
> Please remember to check the tags before reading for potentially sensitive material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried SO HARD to hold back from posting this. I finished it earlier than expected and I was like "Oh, just wait till tomorrow, then they'll be desperate. They got mad about JJ they don't deserve this." BUT I GUESS I'M JUST A NICE GUY *finger guns* 
> 
> Nobody guessed who The Employer was. Not a single person. I am appalled. I hinted at it so many times throughout the last few chapters, and I would have thought it was fairly obvious who it was, but I'm glad I could throw you guys for a loop! 
> 
> This is the last chapter before the epilogue. I promised a happy ending, I hope this is what you guys wanted. I felt like it was enough, but at the same time I feel like nothing I write is ever good enough. I hope you're not disappointed.

Half of the room was absolutely bristling, fuelled by fury and rage like they had never experienced before, whilst the other half was just scared and confused. The aura in the air was toxic, burning a new hole in Yuuri’s already degrading mental state, and he felt like he was about to explode. He could feel Chris and Viktor beside him, seething and going over a hundred and one reasons why this was probably just one bad dream. 

_”You sick cunt!”_ Chris shouted, “To your own _family…”_

“We are a family now.” Georgi frowned, “But we haven’t always been.” 

“What the hell does that mean?” Viktor spat, body practically quaking in anger. “What the **fuck** do you mean, Georgi?” 

“I always liked Yuuri.” He tilted his head, staring down at the boy. “But you didn’t think I would just accept him into the family like that, would you?” 

“All this…” Viktor huffed, “All this just as some sort of hazing for Yuuri? Is this some kind of sick joke I’m not getting?” 

“Vitya, you have it all wrong-“

 **“Then please! Please inform me. Tell me everything’s going to be alright, little brother, because from where I’m standing everything is _not fucking alright!”_ **

“I knew you would be upset.” The middle child frowned, “But this is how it had to be. Things are changing for the better now, _bratik._ It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I find you will quite like how this turns out.” 

“What…” Viktor tried to stand, but fell back into Yuuri. “So you’re jealous? Is that what this is about? You’re upset that a _faggot_ is running the brotherhood just like everybody else, so you’ve decided to take over?” 

“No! Viktor,” Georgi took a step towards them, “Listen to me! We are more alike than you know. You understand love, but Lev never did.” He sat on the pew in front of them, leaning back with a dramatic sigh, “I never wanted to hurt you, and I never wanted anybody else to get hurt either. What our parents did was done in good heart, but it would never work out… Look at you!” He motioned to everybody kneeling in the circle around Leo’s dismembered body. “I am but one person with a small following, like an ant under your boot, but you needed a magnifying glass to see me! This will never work. That’s why _I_ should be Pakhan.” 

“You know I never wanted this!” Yuuri had to grip onto Viktor’s shoulders to stop him from thrashing and hurting himself, “You know that I hated being Pakhan! You could have told me!” 

“It’s not that simple.” He hid his face in his hands, “I don’t mean Pakhan of the Bratva, I mean of all organized crime.” 

“Who the- What the hell? Do you really think we’re just going to hand over our well-earned land to you?” Minako shouted at the man, “After years of fights, truces, and alliances your parents and I came to the conclusion that it would be better if peace was kept between all of us, is that so unreasonable?” 

“It is when you look at the whole picture!” Georgi shot up, “I don’t want to take away your positions, I’m simply stating that I should be the one in charge. Did you see the lengths Viktor was willing to go for Yuuri? How quickly his men turned on him at even the slightest sign of change? True love got them through it. Unconditional, true love. I can offer that to you in turn if you just join me.”

“So you… You did all this… to bring us here? To tear us from each other? To show how weak we are?” Guang-Hong had gained years, it looked like, with tears still streaming down his face. 

“No, I did all this to show you how _strong_ you could be.” Georgi pointed at Leo, “He was a small price to pay, but it proves he was weak. You can all be strong, too, like Viktor and Yuuri. Their love has gotten through everything I’ve thrown at them-“ 

“You told them…” There were tears streaming down Viktor’s face, but he wasn’t crying. “You told everybody about Yuuri on purpose to test our love…” 

“Do you see it now?” The black-haired man started to beam again, “I knew you would come around eventually! I did it so you could show them what a powerful Pakhan you are, with Yuuri too.” 

“You know, Georgi,” Yuuri spoke calmly, a complete contrast to the drying blood on his lips and chin and dead look in his eye. “I think I do understand.” 

“Yes! Thank you, Yuuri.” 

“You wanted this for me,” He pointed to the tattoo, “So you would really know I was committed to the brotherhood.” Yuuri stood then, making the armed men and women around him tense. 

“Oh, Yuuri!” Georgi looked like he was about to tear up, “This is going even better than I thought it would!” 

“Yes, Georgi,” The boy’s expression never changed, even when he made a move to walk towards the man and Viktor’s grip on his sleeve tightened. Yuuri only turned to look at Viktor for a second, shooting him an _’I know what I’m doing’_ look. “Thank you for showing us, _bratik._ Do you think maybe we should have some family time now?” 

It was scary seeing Yuuri like that. Completely void of emotion and speaking as if Georgi was just a child. Every word that came out was slow, precise, and well pronounced. He was being extremely careful in his movements and mannerism as if the Russian man was a toddler on the verge of a tantrum. 

“Oh, good idea Yuuri!” Georgi smiled, “Should the others leave?” 

“Yes, I think they should.” Yuuri nodded slowly, “You don’t want them imposing, right?” 

“Definitely not.” Georgi motioned to the armed men and women to leave, and they did so quickly, staring up at him with unbelieving eyes. 

Georgi was a loose cannon before this, now it was even more apparent. The look in his eyes and the way the men avoided his gaze and never spoke was another indicator of that. It freaked Viktor out, set him on edge; he really didn’t want Yuuri anywhere near him at the moment, but the boy was much more composed than he was, and he didn’t really trust himself to make any rational decisions. 

“These guys can stay though, can’t they _bratik?”_ There was that word again; _brother._ Viktor was sure it was some kind of tactic. He was trying to get Georgi to lower his guard. “They’re going to be family as well soon, right?” 

“I’m still unsure… Vitya, what do you think?” Yuuri turned to Viktor and gripped his arm gently, hoisting the bigger man to his feet. 

“You have always been smarter than me, _bratik,_ I think you should listen to Yuuri.” 

“Yes, I suppose.” Georgi nodded. The rest of the room had practically shrunk back, all of them slowly inching towards each other. Guang-Hong had not moved, but Chris had, slowly shuffling himself so he could discretely untie Emil’s binds. 

“Did we tell you Viktor proposed, Georgi?” Viktor’s arm was around Yuuri’s shoulder, slumped against him for a bit of support, so Yuuri reached to grab his hand and showed the ring to his half-brother. 

“Congratulations! I had no idea!” The black-haired man practically squealed in delight. 

“We were thinking a Spring wedding. Can we sit down and talk about it? I’m a little sore.” Viktor tugged Yuuri a bit closer to him, nudging him towards a set of pews that Georgi’s men had pushed aside. 

“Yes, of course!” He followed them, completely oblivious to the bound prisoners escaping their ropes from under his nose. 

“Have you ever been to Japan, bratik?” Yuuri asked as he helped Viktor sit, making sure to be between him and his brother. 

“No! Is that where you would like to get married?” 

“Yes, I think so.” Yuuri’s hand found Viktor’s between them on the bench. He almost pulled it away when something cut him, and that was when he realized the older man had something sharp in his hand. “We would have to go to North America or maybe here to get the legal documents, but it would be nice to go to my home for the ceremony.” 

“St. Petersburg is not your home? Yuuri, I thought-“ 

“No, no!” Yuuri quickly reassured him, not wanting the man to get upset. “I mean my hometown where I was born. Wouldn’t you like to see it?” Yuuri slipped his hand into Viktor’s, urging him to hand him whatever he was holding, but Viktor was obviously hesitating. 

_’Right now is the perfect opportunity.’_ Yuuri yelled to himself, _’Viktor, just trust me!’_

“I would love to!” Georgi’s face blushed slightly, “I hope to one day find love like you two have found. I’m so proud of you, brother.” 

“I-I’m proud of you too, Georgi.” Viktor stammered around the lump in his throat, tears streaming down his face as he clutched the object tighter. “Y-You were always so smart. Papa didn’t see that.” 

“Aw, Vitya, why are you crying?” Georgi looked genuinely concerned and it felt like a hand in Yuuri’s gut, twisting his innards without mercy. 

_“Because I’m just so happy, bratik.”_ His hand fell open, letting Yuuri grip the shard from the broken window in his hand. “I’m so happy you could show us this.” 

Georgi opened his mouth like he was about to answer, but Yuuri was quicker. He gripped the broken stain-glass shard tight in his hand, ignoring the pain as it sliced into his palm, and brought it up fast, slitting the Russian’s throat in one swipe. 

His eyes became confused momentarily as he reached up and touched the gaping wound in his neck; shifting from Yuuri to Viktor, then back again. He shook his head, and his confused look turned into one of sadness and betrayal. He knew in that moment what Viktor and Yuuri had done, and that was the one thing he never saw coming. He had always been so convinced that they would just come running into his open arms, that they would see the big picture like he did and just ignore all he had put them through, but he never expected this. 

Georgi gripped Yuuri’s sleeve, and the boy let him, holding it tightly in his fist and falling to his knees, looking up at his brother and his fiancé and just mouthing one word over and over. 

_’Why?’_

_’Why?’_

_**’Why?’** _

“I love you, brother.” Viktor whispered, “I’m sorry you did this.” 

Georgi coughed up blood then onto the stone floor, staining the white tile a putrid shade of red. He clutched at his throat as he choked, trying to catch his breath but he just couldn’t quite get it. 

Viktor and Yuuri both stared down at him from their spot on the pew until he stopped struggling, laying face down in the blood and bile he had thrown up. Only then did Viktor look away, burying his face in Yuuri’s shirt and letting out a loud sob. Yuuri just embraced him, holding him close to his chest, and letting him get it all out. Viktor very rarely cried at all, and it was scary enough when he let out a few tears, let alone a flood like this. 

Chris stood from the floor slowly, looking over in their direction. Amber eyes met hazel and that was all that had to happen for Chris to know not to approach, to just collect his things and go. The Swiss man quickly corralled the others, getting them to stand and motioning for them to leave Viktor and Yuuri alone. Guang-Hong was difficult. Michele and Sara had to pry him off Leo’s body, and even then they were struggling to get him away. Other than the Chinese boy’s screams and Viktor’s body-wracking sobs the room was dead silent, until the doors to the cathedral swung open, and everybody’s head shot towards it. 

“Guys, wha- Oh.” Mila and Yuri stepped in, looking around at the state of the cathedral. “W-What’s going on?” 

Yuuri squeezed Viktor tighter to his chest. “How did you know we were here?” 

“I-I got a call from Beka. He didn’t sound so good but he mentioned s-something about the marina and we heard gunshots… Where is Beka?” 

Yuuri shook his head slowly, and Viktor clung to his shirt tighter, letting out a loud sob. Yuri’s face fell, and he started shaking his head rapidly. 

“No… No, he’s not-“ He frowned as tears started welling in his eyes, “Where is he, Yuuri…” 

It was the first time in a long time that the younger boy had called Yuuri by his full name. From the beginning he had been dead set on nicknames, never wanting to share the same name as some whore that Viktor picked off the street. 

“I-I’m sorry, Yuri…” 

“Oh god…” Mila locked eyes with Georgi’s body, “Oh fuck. Oh, jesus, what happened?” She ran her fingers through her auburn hair, tugging hard at the roots. “What did you do, Georgi…” She walked to him, dropping to her knees in the pool of blood. _“What did you do, big brother…”_ She whispered, just letting tears slip past. 

Yuuri stood slowly, pulling Viktor up with him, but still letting the man hide himself in his chest. He gently rested a hand on Mila’s shoulder, coaxing her off her knees and into his side as well. When she did, Viktor immediately gripped onto her too, pulling the three of them as close as possible. Yuri continued to sob, kicking over the lines of pews and cursing, punching things until his knuckles were bruised and raw, but if that’s what he needed to do right now, Yuuri wouldn’t intervene. 

“We should leave.” He said to everybody in the room, voice completely void of emotion. “The police will be here soon.” 

~~~

The water from the sink ran red as Yuuri put the rag under, washing it for the third time. He had been at it for a while, gently dabbing the dry blood from Viktor’s face and trying to find the wound. The Russian had been silent the entire walk, or limp, back to the hotel room, and was continuing to do so, but Yuuri didn’t want to push anything. He asked Viktor for the key card, he gave it to him. He asked Viktor to sit on the counter; he did it without uttering a single word. Honestly, it would have scared Yuuri if he had not have been there to see what Viktor saw, or done what he did. Even now he didn’t really feel like talking, but he had to be strong, but he couldn't pretend like nothing had happened. 

So he searched for the wound, rinsing the cloth again, and bringing it back up to Viktor’s swollen face, though at least now he could see his pale skin underneath, now turned grey from the flickering bathroom lights. 

“How would you feel about going to the hospital?” 

Viktor didn’t reply, just stared down at the ground. His eyes had not left the spot for an hour now, and Yuuri was beginning to wonder if the man was even awake or if he had fallen asleep with them open. 

“I oh-“ He pulled the rag back sharply, “I found the cut, sorry.” 

It was over his eye, from just under his brow bone to his cheek and through his eyelid. Lucky enough, it hadn’t caught anything important, but it was deep enough that it would scar. Yuuri accidently caught the cloth on it when he found it, but Viktor didn’t react. It seemed that in this moment Viktor was completely numb to everything. 

“You may not want to go to the hospital, but let me look at your stomach.” He grabbed Viktor’s hand, and the man hesitated. “Come on, I need to check.” 

Again, Viktor didn’t respond with words, he just went along with the motions, letting Yuuri pull him over to the bed and lay him down across it gently, head against the pillows. Nimble fingers undid his buttons, pulling the fabric back and letting hot hands trail across the cold expanse of his skin. He had quite a large black bruise blossoming across his left side where the woman had continually kicked, a few scattered here and there, and some on his legs when Yuuri managed to coax his pants down over his boxers. 

“This had me thinking back to when I first came home,” Yuuri said it like Viktor was supposed to say something back, but he knew he wouldn’t get a response. “God, they all hated me so much.” He chuckled to himself, “I remember I was so scared. It was a completely new place, I had never been to anywhere other than Japan and America, and when I met Yakov?” Yuuri dabbed gently at a patch of blood on Viktor’s chest, “That was scary. But it was always better when you were around. Yuri and Mila too, I think it helped that they were around my age.” He looked over at Viktor’s cloudy eyes, staring off out the window at the moon. “I found out today that Yuri and Otabek are dating, did you know that?” 

Viktor’s face slowly turned towards him, and he shook his head slowly. 

“I kind of thought, but I didn’t think it was polite of me to ask.” The boy brushed the Russian’s bloody blond bangs away from his face, “We aren’t supposed to know, so don’t tell him.” He smiled gently down at Viktor, glad he could get some response out of the man. “Hey, do you remember that first night I stayed at the house? When we danced to that Foreigner record?” 

“Greatest hits…” 

“Yeah, the greatest hits.” The corner of Viktor’s mouth turned up a bit and he nodded up at Yuuri, “We haven’t listened to that album for a while.” The boy reached up and cupped the side of Viktor’s face, and the man leaned into the touch. “You a bit better now?” 

He nodded. 

“Want to take a shower?” 

He shook his head. 

“I’ll do all the work.” Yuuri reasoned, “You just have to sit there.” That seemed to do the trick, because instead of a dead weight against the pull of Yuuri’s hand, suddenly he moved with ease, following the younger boy back into the bathroom. 

He leaned him up against the wall, getting him to shrug off his shirt, then reached down to unbuckle his pants. He slid Viktor’s belt out of the loops and undid the zipper, slow and languid, lacking his usual vigour while doing this activity. Viktor didn’t complain, though, he just rested his head against the cold drywall of the bathroom, and closed his eyes as Yuuri pulled down his trousers and boxers by the waistband, leaving him completely bare and vulnerable against the wall. 

Yuuri began to undress now, not even bothering to undo his shirt. There was a big stain across the front from the tattoo ink and a large hole in it, so he just tore it from his chest and dropped it to the floor. Relaxed and slow he did his pants as well, before turning on the water and stepping into it, helping Viktor over the edge of the tub. 

The water pressure was nothing like they had at home, but it would do. It was almost nicer because they had to huddle a bit so they would both be under the spray. Yuuri started with the shampoo, lathering and massaging it into Viktor’s stained blond locks. He would worry about himself after, because he didn’t care if the shower was cold. Yuuri adjusted them so the taller was under the stream, gently guiding his head back so he wouldn’t get shampoo in his cuts or eyes. 

Then the conditioner was just as slow, and as it settled into the thick blond hair he massaged it in too, until he felt it was thorough enough and moved to soap up Viktor’s body with the body wash. Careful of his bruises and scrapes, Yuuri slowly cleaned him up, getting into every hard crevice of his body, and gently massaging his tense muscles until the Russian relaxed a bit. 

He hummed quietly when small hands reached up into his hair again, washing out the last of the shampoo. Viktor sprung to life then, swooping down and threatening to capture the smaller boy’s lips in his. 

“Just wait,” Yuuri held a hand up to his chest, “I still have blood in my mouth.” 

But Viktor didn’t listen, he just reached up to Yuuri’s face and cupped his chin, turning it up so he was looking into his eyes, then dipped again. It wasn’t lustful or erotic, but it wasn’t innocent either. The kiss was unlike anything they had ever shared, but it wasn’t without emotion or love, it was just a new kind that they had found that night. 

Viktor kissed him deep, ignoring the stale, coppery taste on his lover’s tongue. Yuuri tried to forget it too, reaching up into soft blond locks to pull the man a bit closer. When they pulled away, out of breath and huffing, Viktor’s eyes had a chance to trail over Yuuri’s body.

“When did those happen?” He asked quietly, motioning to the purple and yellow bruises across his elbows and knees. 

“In the apartment across the street,” Yuuri looked down at them too, “They fired at us, and Otabek tackled me.” A solemn look of remorse flashed in Viktor’s eyes, but it was gone in a second. 

“Let me do you now.” 

“No, Viktor, you should go to bed.”

“Please? I want to.” He reached over and grabbed the shampoo bottle, squeezing some into his palm and lathering it up before pulling Yuuri a bit closer and kneading the fruity substance into his hair. It wasn’t really fit for Yuuri’s hair type, which the boy didn’t even known was a thing until Viktor told him all about it, but the sentiment was there, and Yuuri let it happen. Dirty, sweaty water dripped down his face and chin as Viktor pushed him gently under the spray, closing his eyes with the pads of his thumbs. He repeated with the conditioner, working it deep onto Yuuri’s scalp before pulling away and lathering him up with the citrusy body wash, but almost avoiding the fresh, marred-looking tattoo completely. 

“I think I would like to dance with you again,” He spoke suddenly, pushing Yuuri under the stream to clean off the dirty suds from his stomach. “To that song, I mean.” 

“Let’s plan it, then.” Yuuri smiled up at him, “How about, say, two Springs from now?”

“Only if you get your schooling done, mister, and stop fooling around!” Viktor caught Yuuri by the side, pulling him close as he tickled him relentlessly. 

“H-Hey!” Yuuri tried pushing him away, but he was overwhelmed with joy that Viktor was almost back to his old self, “S-Stop! You know I will.” 

“How could I forget!” Viktor dipped and kissed him again, “You and your smartass comments, always showing off how intelligent you are.” 

The shorter boy reached behind him to turn off the water, pulling Viktor’s head down so their lips could meet again, searing and passionate, and so full of life just as they usually were. 

“Hey Viktor?” 

“Mhm?” 

“Let’s go home.” 

 

_**~One Year Later~** _

 

 _“Eva Kalev.”_

The music had been playing for a while, and as the crescendo rose and fell Yuuri’s fingers started to twitch once again. The names were starting to get closer and closer to his own, and he could feel the anticipation from behind the curtain. 

He was nervous now, but he knew as soon as he opened that curtain and gripped the diploma, he was home free. As soon as his family’s eyes met his, he would be fine. The twitching would stop, as would the sweating, and it would be replaced only by the overwhelming sense of accomplishment. 

_”Duncan Kasimov.”_

Yuuri gripped the edges of his suit, pulling the collar away from his neck. It was becoming increasingly obvious that he had started to grow again, and the suit Viktor had bought him when he moved there was getting too small already. It was expensive, and fitting it was tedious, so he was hoping to postpone getting a new suit until the wedding, but Viktor wasn’t having it, insisting that he buy Yuuri a new one for his graduation ceremony. 

_His_ graduation ceremony. 

It still felt weird to say. These last few months had gone by in a blur, but Yuuri couldn’t say anything about it other than it had been the best year of his life. Yes, like every year it had good days and bad days, but the good outweighed the bad, and at least he had an entire family there to help him when times got rough. 

_”Yuuri Katsuki.”_

There it was; thickly accented, and a bit mispronounced, but it was obviously Yuuri’s name. It was to be expected, too, when the principle had not heard his name until they had enquired as to whether he could be included in the ceremony along with the others. He had originally been against the idea, but Viktor insisted, backed up by Mila. He deserved to have the real high school experience, even if it wasn’t in Japan or America.

Yuuri bounced on the balls of his feet once, inhaling deep, and walking out onto the street. He accepted his diploma, and shook the principles hand firmly, before turning towards the audience. 

There, in the front row, was everybody. Yuri, with his hair tied back in a tight braid, Otabek with a small smile on his face that was so rare to see, Mila with a bittersweet look, hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, Chris and Lilia who looked like they could cry at any moment, but still composed as ever, and Viktor. Viktor who’s beautiful blue irises were glossy, threatening tears any second, suit jacket as well fitted and pristine as ever; a complete contrast to the tornado of emotions that was going on behind his cerulean eyes.

So yeah, maybe this last year and a half was a little bumpy. Maybe sometimes he was scared for his life, and others he was scared for the ones he loved, but he could say he dreamt, and screamed, and yelled, and cried, and he _felt_ for the first time in a long time, and it felt good to say. 

Then Yuuri Katsuki, eighteen years old, Hasetsu native, fiancé to St. Petersburg Bratva Pakhan Viktor Nikiforov, friend, and soon-to-be brother-in-law, shot a fist in the air with a hoot, gripping his diploma tight that he earned _himself_ , earning him a loud ruckus of applause from the front row, and a hundred judgemental glances from the rest of the audience. 

But really, he couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

 

_**~To Be Continued~** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ACTUALLY CRYING AS I WRITE THIS. 
> 
> The emotional growth the characters went through in this fic, like in the show, is so close to my heart and I just.... cAN'T LIKE WHAT IS THIS. 
> 
> To clear up some of your questions: 
> 
> 1\. Yes, Beka lived.  
> 2\. MORE WILL BE EXPLAINED IN THE EPILOGUE  
> 3\. Yes, I will probably write a spin-off or sequel.  
> 4\. No, Viktor didn't get his fUCKING EAR BACK, STOP ASKING ME TO GIVE HIM THE GODDAMN EAR, I CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND CUT BOTH EARS OFF, IF YOU KEEP PESTERING ME ABOUT THE EAR. I WILLSHOVETHEEARUPYOURASSIFIHEARANOTHERCOMPLAINTABOUTIT.
> 
> If you have any questions, comments, or just genuinely want to bash me over the head with a blunt object, please feel free to ask! My social medias are below, or leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you guys, and I appreciate your continued support throughout the series! Like I said, it's come so far from the original torture porn/sugar daddy fic it was supposed to be in Chapter 1. The support has been overwhelming, and I really don't deserve it. 
> 
> See you soon for the epilogue!

**Author's Note:**

> An answer to some of your questions: 
> 
> Q: If Yuuri isn't to be involved in Viktor's business, why does he say he want's him to be his 'right-hand man'?  
> A: I guess that is a bit confusing, yeah, I meant sort of like in a 'trophy husband' kind of way, if that makes any sense? Like Yuuri won't be involved in his "work", but he is still loyal to Viktor, and the Bratva.
> 
> Q: How come they're speaking English/Japanese/Russian?  
> A: They're speaking English to each other, as they do in the show, but Viktor knows a bit of other languages (like the Japanese he uses in Chapter One) because of his travels and duties as Pakhan. Yuuri can understand a bit of Russian, but not enough to be conversational, because he'd picked a bit up from the workers and boss' at Alexei's. It may seem like he's fluent from the way I write the Russian dialogue but I wanted to leave it in complete sentences, not the broken Russian Yuuri was hearing, so it'd make sense to the readers. 
> 
> Q: Why is Yuuri so chill about Viktor being a fUCKIN' MOBSTER AND BUYING HIM?  
> A: Having worked at Alexei's, which is run by the Bratva, Yuuri is used to being in the company of people like Viktor. Not quite of Viktor's status, and it shows, but people similar to him. Yuuri was also giving up hope (another homage to the original show) and felt life wasn't worth living anymore, so he basically sees living with Viktor as just another step up from what life was like at Alexei's. He's still worried, he doesn't like the idea of being 'owned' but he is desperate. I in no way condone or fetishize this area of the fic.
> 
> Q: How are they all connected/related?  
> A: Viktor's father and mother have passed, and Mila and Georgi are his siblings from his father, but they all have different mothers. Yakov is Viktor's mother's brother. Yakov is Yuri's father, and his mother has passed. Lilia dated Yakov for quite some time, but they're broken up. The boys still call her 'Mama' sometimes, though. 
> 
> Q: Are Mr. King and The Employer the same person?  
> A: No, they're different. Things will be explained a bit more in later chapters, but the characters they're referring to are different people to them.
> 
> As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged! 
> 
> If you need to contact me, try @queers.on.ice on Instagram (where I'm most active), queers-on-ice on Tumblr, or leave me a comment! I hope you enjoyed!


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